First off let me start by saying any Asia trip flying goes to SUPER senior flight attendants and by that I mean they’ve usually been flying 30+ years. So you can imagine my excitement when I was able to pick up a trip to Narita with a two day layover.

To be honest, before going to the airport I was a little nervous about working with such a senior crew when I’d never worked an Asia flight before. When I got there I was relieved. Regardless of everyone having twenty plus years of flying more than me, they were all incredibly welcoming and excited for me.

I was like a lost puppy working the fourteen aisle flight but luckily the whole crew pointed me in the right directions.

Our trip brought us into the Narita airport, which is about an hour outside of Tokyo. Luckily we had two days instead of just the usual one on our layover, so we had a full day to go into the city.

The whole entire crew went out together which seldom happens, even less so when that means eight people instead of what I’m used to working with which is about four.

As with most international flights, we had two ‘speakers’ who speak fluently the language of the country we’re traveling to. Let me tell you, that makes it a hell of a lot easier navigating a city as big as Tokyo.

A majority of us hadn’t had the chance to spend much time in Tokyo so we hit some of the major tourist attractions.

On our hit list was; the Samurai Museum, cool even though I didn’t get to touch any of the swords; the Sumo Museum, got my picture in a sumo cutout of course; and the Tokyo Skytree, which even on a cloudy day is a sight to behold.

After hitting the major sights we got ramen at a mom and pop place we stumbled upon.

I can’t say I had much of ramen since my poor stage in college, and let me tell you… there’s a difference. Fresh ramen eclipses any of the instant crap you’ve had. Also, according to one of the flight attendants I was working with who grew up in Japan, slurping is proper manners when eating ramen making it even more enjoyable.

Next, we wandered around some historic temples and saw women wearing yukata, a traditional Japanese garment.

We ended our busy day in Tokyo by wandering through Shibuya, which is comparable to New York’s Times Square. There’s shopping galore and believe it or not a historic German beer garden that we got dinner at.

The next day we had some time before we had to go to the airport. A few of use ventured out to the town of Narita.

Walking down the towns streets on our way to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, the temple in Narita, I was lucky enough to witness eels being sliced apart for the days lunch.

While watching these Japanese chefs masterfully and melticulously dissect the eels, I about lost my breakfast. Although it freaked me out, I would say try and watch them do it if you have the chance. Their skill and rhythm when slicing the eels apart is insane.

When we got to the Narita’s temple, the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, we saw some cherry blossoms just starting to bloom. The temple alone is stunning by itself, the gardens surrounding are worth the time.

On our way back to the bus stop that took us to and from the hotel, we stopped to get Dorayaki. Dorayaki is in my words a Japanese pancake that has sweet beans, red or white, in the middle. No I did not think I would like it when I that description was told to me but my mind was easily changed. These sweet treats are like nothing I’ve ever had and I find myself craving them at home in the states.

Next, it was time to head to the airport and start the journey home. Working was the last thing I wanted to do after a fun filled day but when another flight attendant had me stop to get champagne chocolates it brightened my mood.

If that brightened my mood I can’t tell you how my attitude was altered when I found out our flight home was canceled.

Another day was added to my first ever trip to Europe. Better yet, I wasn’t going to have to work home I got to deadhead, which in flight attendant terms means get paid to sit like a passenger.

Before we headed back though, we were given an extra day since there weren’t any flights for 24 hours.

Our last day one flight attendant took me to the Japanese grocery and dollar stores that were just a bus stop away. At the grocery store I got some treats for the flight home later that night (which I didn’t have to work)! I got some gyozo, also known as my favorite food from Japan.

On our second attempt at gettin home, we made it. Even if it was relaxing in passenger seats instead of working like we were originally supposed to.

I was so lucky to have such an amazing crew that made sure I had a memorable first time in Japan, I couldn’t have hoped for anything better.

If you want to see a highlight from my Narita/Tokyo adventure click here and click through the pictures below!