Some days start with pure excitement.

My first full day in Japan starts in a comfortable bed in my awesome kimono pajamas. The comfortable hotel bed has me rested and ready for an exciting day ahead.

Today includes fun in the snow, a distillery tour, and, most importantly, reuniting my amazing Seattle friends. Karin, Jake, Cody, and the whole gang will be in the same city as me, so naturally, I can't stop tracking their location to see when they'll be here.

First, I need to get myself ready and start a three-train journey that looks much quicker on the map than it is. I have the last reservation for the Nikka Distillery, my favorite Japanese whisky brand. Nothing is going to get in the way of me and this tour.

I'm so excited, I get to the distillery an hour early. Walking around a whisky distillery at 10am on an empty stomach is frowned upon, so I sit and eat a meal. The only spot open has a high-end chef and reminds me of an episode of The Bear (amazing show if you haven't seen it). The restaurant is a small and extremely tight-run eatery trying with a lot of yelling. I ordered a spicy cod pizza and got a 3-course meal with coffee. I'm in heaven.

After my delicious meal, I eagerly walk into the Nikka campus. I proudly show my tour email, sporting a huge grin. I'm fairly certain the employees think I'm off-the-wall, but that's okay because everyone here is just as excited as I am. The helpful employees give me English instructions and send me to my tour group. I get to learn about the history, watch them keep pot stills at the perfect temperature, taste whisky the Nikka way, and visit the museum. Despite the blizzard conditions outside, I'm having a ball.

I get to the tasting center and get carried away sampling more and more whiskies. 8 whisky samples in, I go to the store, buy everything I can, and begin the long journey back to town. It takes two hours and three trains, but I barely notice while I nap off my whisky. I quickly grab my things and go the Airbnb, where I'll reuinte with my friends.

When I arrive at the Airbnb, I get to give Matt and Kaya a huge hug and join them for ramen for the first time in a long time. We wait outside in the snow, catch up, eat, experience, and fall in love with the culture. Matt and Kaya's jetlag catches up to them and they lie down for a "two hour nap." I sit at the window thinking about when the rest of the group will join.

At 11 pm, the green bubbles on find my friends get closer. MY friends arrive and I get to give Jake the biggest hug. I open my fancy new whisky and let out a deep breath.