The most enjoyable part of a trip is the preparation and travel leading up to it

More than the day of the trip itself,
I much prefer the time spent preparing the day before.

What to bring,
which bag to use,
and whether I have enough charging cables.

I trace the trip that hasn't even started yet,
over and over in my mind.
That time is already a part of the journey.

And then, the day arrives.
I wake up just a little bit earlier,
put on clothes for a special occasion, and leave the house.

At this point, the trip has already begun.

On days I fly with ANA,
I always head to Haneda AirportTerminal 2a little early.

It's not to avoid being rushed,
but because I simply love the time spent at the airport.

First, while drinking coffee at Starbucks,
I idly watch the planes taking off and landing.

People heading somewhere, people returning home.
As I imagine their individual stories,
the switch to my daily life quietly turns off.

This New Year's holiday,
Haneda Airport was incredibly crowded.

The walking speed,
the atmosphere in the corridors,
everything felt a little more hectic than usual.

That is precisely why,
I wanted to cherish the time spent wandering around the airport.

When I was walking without any particular destination,
a familiar shop name suddenly caught my eye.

The curry udon shop that appears in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
cuud

I had assumed it was only in Terminal 1,
so I stopped in my tracks.

I just had to go in!

I chose
the set where you can try two different kinds.

Since it's a special airport meal, I'll be a little greedy.

The spiced curry,
and the gentle dashi broth of the udon.
It's not too heavy, yet it's truly satisfying.

After finishing the udon, I was able to eat it with rice or add the dashi broth.

Walking into a shop I hadn't planned on visiting,
and eating something I hadn't planned on eating.

It's because of these kinds of coincidences that I like arriving at the airport early.

Since it was crowded due to the year-end and New Year holidays,
after finishing my meal,
I decided to go through security early,
and spend some time relaxing inside.

Once you step away from the hustle and bustle outside,
a quiet time awaits until boarding.

Security check.
I'm used to this by now.

Take off my jacket,
and put my bag on the tray.

I make sure to show the staff that my shoes aren't boots,
and my pockets are completely empty.

“Perfect,” I think to myself.

—At that moment.

Beep.

I knew the cause immediately.
My hair clip.

It was a complete blind spot.

Even though I checked so carefully.
Even though I thought I was so perfect.

It's frustrating.

Even so, once I finished the inspection and went inside,
it was as calm as if the earlier crowds were a lie.

I sit in a chair,
and take a breath while drinking the coffee I picked up before the boarding gate.

With just one small mistake,
“perfection” easily crumbles.

But,
including these kinds of events,
the time spent traveling truly stays in my memory.

The best part of a trip is
the preparation and the journey itself.

And along the way,
unexpected detours,
and small mistakes are bound to happen.

It wasn't perfect, but
precisely because of that,
this trip to Haneda Airport became a memorable experience.

It's frustrating, but
it makes me smile a little,
as a memory of the airport during the year-end and New Year holidays.