Big ski trip in Hakuba, Nagano this weekend. Ski check #2: I had planned to ski in Gunma, Nagano, and Hokkaido as this is probably my only chance ever. I picked up B and M at Matsuida Station about a 25 minute drive away. They had a much further distance to travel. I still had time to go home after school, pack, and cook dinner. We drove another two hours from Matsuida to the hotel, Lady Diana, in Hakuba via the expressway. With three people, the tolls only cost us about 1000 yen a piece and saved us an hour driving time. The roads were really straight and snow-free although I’ve never driven through so many tunnels. I broke my tunnel length record three times on that stretch - 4475 m long. We stopped twice, one at Beisia for B’s meds and once at McD’s so B could get some dinner. I managed to get a pair of waterproof gloves at Beisia. I knew I’d need some this weekend with all the snow! A bit later down the road, I realized I forgot my phone charger, noooo. At least I had the car charger.

Things were a bit crazy inside the hotel as we had a 141 people participating in this weekend from thirteen different prefectures. Some JETs, some private teachers, some people in other professions like the military. We booked out the two adjoining hotels completely. Luckily B had been there before, and knew the way through the building to our rooms. I took a slightly cheaper room that didn’t have an en suite toilet, but one right across the hall. I was rooming in a small basement room with the fake plastic tateami where we could barely fit the four futons. It wasn’t really clean, but it’d do as a place to crash. The heater was a kerosene one and you were supposed to keep a window cracked with it on so you don’t suffocate on the fumes. Scarily enough, we only had one thin futon layer and a thin blanket to go on top. It was a down blanket, but still! I slept in my wool and fleece leggings, and a fleece jacket. The blanket was short enough that it only reached halfway up my chest.

I hung out a bit upstairs before heading to bed at 10:30 pm. I should have grabbed a pair of the earplugs. It was still loud in the room, and people were up late. Two of my roommates came in around 2 am and I felt like I barely drifted off before then. So much noise.They also kept the heat on overnight and I don’t think the window was open because it smelled quite gassy. Don’t know how I survived!