This was truly “the longest day.” It began with a midnight (local time) departure from Bangkok. I have to say … the airport there is amazing: huge (a major air hub for southeast Asia), designed for efficiency, and architecturally significant. I found it very comforting to find a Burger King and a Dairy Queen in the concourse leading to my gate. Yes, I am an American, trash though that may be when it comes to comfort food! My flight then landed in Tokyo around 8 a.m. (again, local time, two hours ahead of Bangkok). No need to go through passport check or go through customs, though I did need to clear security. Enjoyed a nice chicken curry for breakfast, the abundance of place at which to recharge my iOS devices, surrealistically clean restrooms, and small and slightly amusing (to a westerner) markers of Japanese culture. Not something I’m used to finding at American airports. After about a two-hour layover, it was time to board for the flight to Chicago. With a tailwind, it’s nearly two hours shorter than the westbound trip. On the clock, we landed at O’Hare two hours before we took off in Tokyo! The layover was long enough to get unwound from the long flight but not so long as to become annoying. We touched down in Springfield just before noon, and I have delighted in getting reacquainted with my wife, her animals, and our home.
