on my way to fuji

shinkansen experience: i sit alone on the bullet train. a group of japanese women are giggling a couple rows behind me. the grey floor is spotless and my seat appears as if it has been empty for the past month. i look out the window & see tiny houses, tall buildings, patches of green & a few perfectly shaped graveyards, no bigger than a parking space. in the distance is the pacific ocean and beyond that lie mountains. my heart races when i think about seeing mount fuji for the first time.  my mind wanders into disbelief of my current setting: fuji, japan? impossible! never before would i have thought my life's path would lead me here. i am so grateful for each life experience i've had, for they have molded me into who i am. i am eager to find what japan will teach me, & how this mountainous island will shape me into a better person. suddenly, i am brought back to reality as the train jolts at the fuji train station. i quickly gather my things & spot my manager through the window looking for me. i am here. i am thankful.