The day started off so well! I woke up before my alarm went off, yet I was in a wonderful mood. Today’s the day that I go home! 
If you read this and have half a brain, you’ll know that I’ve been looking forward to this day and am ridiculously happy that it’s finally here. However, as the day progressed, things quickly went down hill. This isn’t looking promising…….
It’s been pouring rain all morning, even storming. Despite rainy season not being that bad this year, there’s been a record amount of rainfall. Kumamoto hasn’t seen this much rain in sixty years. I’m not joking when I say that it pours ALL. DAY. LONG. This morning was heavy rain from before I got up to about 1PM. I had multiple people come up to me and say that my bus might be delayed tonight due to the bad weather. (Remember that they’ll close the IC (interstate) here if it rains heavily.) Ms. Higashi, the office lady, is really nice and has been updating me all morning about the situation. At first she told me that the bus might be delayed, then that the IC was closed, and then that the IC was only closed from Hitoyoshi to Yatsushiro. Mr. Fujiwara informed me that the buses and trains had stopped running completely. At first I wasn’t worried about the situation, but as more and more information came out, the more worried I became. What if I couldn’t make it to the airport in time? I’ve been looking forward to this trip for six months, and what if all of my hopes are crushed by the weather? 
Around noon, the teachers turned on the TV. In Kumamoto City, the Shirakawa was overflowing its banks. The tram lines had stopped working, sirens were blasting, and people were being evacuated. I checked my email and had received an email from the PAs warning all of the Kumamoto ALTs about the weather, flooding of several different rivers, and to stay away from any river. Shortly after that, the sirens went off here. They rarely ever go off, so if they do, you know it’s serious. I was trying to play out in my mind what the Plan B could be. Maybe I could take the back roads up to Fukuoka….? ……that plan fell through when Mary told me that the 219, the main back road from Hitoyoshi to Yatsushiro, was closed due to the rising river level. With all of this bad news, I was absolutely terrified that something was going to happen and I wouldn’t make it to the airport in time.
Right now the rain has stopped, but they’re calling for more tonight. I emailed my supervisor to see if my bus would run tonight, and she said that she would call the company and get back to me. Melissa, who was just originally supposed to take me to the bus station in Hitoyoshi (a total of five minutes from her house), has already offered to drive me all the way up to Fukuoka (a two or three hour drive from Hitoyoshi) tonight, turn around and drive back, and then go to work in the morning. She is seriously one of the most kind hearted people I know! 
Even though things are looking up now, I’m still worried. If I get up to the airport tonight, one or both of my flights might be delayed tomorrow, making me miss my connections. UGH!!! Why, rain, why?!?!
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