This winter break, I stepped thousands of miles outside of my comfort zone by leaving the United States for the first time and spending Christmas and the new year in Japan. From exploring the busy metropolis of Tokyo to feeling true relaxation in the countryside, these cultural experiences were unforgettable.

I was in Kyoto, celebrating my final moments with my boyfriend’s family in Japan on New Year’s Day, when the living room’s chandelier began to swing. I felt the waves of movement through the floor as all of our phones buzzed with a frantic earthquake alert, followed by a warning of a major tsunami. Four hours away from Kyoto In Ishikawa Prefecture, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck. This was the largest earthquake experienced since the disastrous events of 2011 and was felt across the country.

Shaken, my partner’s family immediately turned on the television to see every channel turned to the same news presenter, heavily warning all citizens on the east coast of Japan to evacuate immediately in the rise of an expected five-meter wave.

The news presented scenes of collapsed houses, the raging waters and fires erupting due to the earthquake. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Japanese citizens trapped in their homes reached out for help. It was devastating to watch knowing I was sitting safely, merely hours away from these zones of destruction and chaos. My partner’s family and I frantically called and texted family and friends across Japan, checking in on their safety and sending prayers for all the victims of the earthquake. 

I was packing my bags for my flight back to Washington, and all I could do was pray for Japan. As of Jan. 8, almost 100 innocent lives were lost and over 300 people are missing underneath the rubble as a result of the earthquake.

It was time to return home to Washington, and my partner and I were getting ready for takeoff at Haneda Airport. With one bag checked in and one more to go, everyone in the airport froze when an announcement was made that all services would be temporarily closed due to a fire on the runway. The flight attendant checking in our bags looked at us in shock before hurrying over to her colleagues to find out more information. 

We were left with our luggage and settled down to begin the uncomfortable wait for further updates. An hour passed. We were initially told only the runway caught on fire, but when my boyfriend’s family texted me a horrific image of a commercial plane still burning, my heart dropped. I immediately Googled the situation and saw that a Japan Airlines plane with almost four hundred passengers had crashed into a Coast Guard plane with six members inside. All I could think of was how horrible the new year had been for the citizens of Japan, with each day bringing new devastation.

Four hours passed while services were halted. Multiple flights were affected, and another flight was canceled or delayed with each announcement. More information about the crash victims was released. We were relieved to learn that all passengers on the commercial flight had been evacuated, but the status of Coast Guard members was unknown. As time passed, the airport became more crowded, people became more frustrated and questions were left unanswered.

One last hour passed. My flight was lucky to be able to fly that night after hours of uncertainty. At a frantic pace, I hurried past security and looked out the walls of windows to see multiple emergency cars on the other side of the runway. The eight-hour long flight was brutal without the constant updates of the accident, leaving me anxious to land and hear the fate of the coast guard members. Soon after arriving in Seattle, I would learn five lives were lost as a result of the collision, all Coast Guard members who were preparing to deliver supplies as a result of the earthquake. 

As I review these hectic two days, I can only think of the lives that have been lost, the homes and buildings that are catching fire as a result of the aftershocks, and most especially, the families mourning the loss of their loved ones, pets, homes and destroyed historical landmarks. 

Keep Japan and its residents and visitors in your prayers for a better year and for safety, healing and rebuilding.