Buddy Pass Blues

This summer has been so unusual. I spent most of June and July in Hiroshima and I have many stories to share about a happy dog, a protective spider, a giant fish and more. I plan to spend the rest of August in Michigan visiting my sister (and yes, attending her wedding!)

Today, however, I am in Chiba. Yesterday I tried to fly to the US but I couldn’t get on any flight. I’m very lucky because my sister works for Delta Airlines. This means I can use one of her “buddy passes” and fly round trip for about 65,000 yen. The price is great but I have to fly standby. On a good day, I can get a seat in business class. It’s great, right? However, in peak seasons, like now, I can’t get any seat. My sister lives in Michigan so I want to take a direct flight from Narita to Detroit. I already know that the flight to Detroit today is full. What to do? The Delta Airlines staff are so friendly and good at helping buddy pass users like me. First, I will try to go to New York. If I can’t get on that flight, I will try to go to Minneapolis. If I can’t get on that flight, I will try to go to Honolulu.

I’m so fortunate to be able to use a Buddy Pass and in fact, I don’t feel blue at all. It’s important to have a positive attitude and be open for adventure. I’m not sure how I will get to Detroit or when I will arrive. I’ve already met interesting people and made new friends and I haven’t even left Japan yet! This is indeed a great adventure!