Travel days always start the same way: earlier than feels reasonable and filled with more excitement than sleep.

This morning began at 4:30 a.m. in Las Vegas — the kind of wake-up call where the world is completely quiet and you wonder briefly whether anyone else on earth is awake. Bags were zipped, lights flipped off, and we headed to the airport knowing this wasn’t just another flight day. It was the first step of a much bigger journey.

We left our place in Vegas before sunrise and flew to Los Angeles, that familiar in-between city for so many international adventures. LAX isn’t really a destination for us today — it’s more like a launching pad. The real joy of the morning was meeting up with Dakota, who joined us there, instantly making the trip feel fully underway.

There’s something about reunions in airports that never gets old. No matter how many miles you’ve traveled, that moment when everyone is finally together changes the energy. Suddenly it’s no longer logistics — it’s adventure.

From Los Angeles, we board the long flight across the Pacific toward Tokyo, the first major leg of this journey and the gateway to a place that has captured our imagination for years: Japan.

Japan feels different even before arriving. Maybe it’s the contrast — ancient tradition alongside cutting-edge modern life. Maybe it’s the food, the culture, the mountains, or the quiet attention to beauty in ordinary things. Whatever it is, it feels exotic in the best sense of the word — a place that invites curiosity.

Right now, though, we’re somewhere in the middle — not quite leaving, not quite arriving. Airports, airplanes, and anticipation.

The adventure has officially begun.

Next stop: Tokyo.