Jet lag is your friend

I dread jet lag before trips and complain about it after. But the truth is, I know it's on my side. In Seattle, sleeping til 11 and up and about til 3 am was the perfect vacation schedule; I was there and hungry when a pizza delivery guy came into the dive bar where we were playing pool at 1:30 to sell off his leftover pizzas for 5 bucks a pie. Bliss.

Back in Tokyo to a ton of work, waking up at dawn this week suited me perfectly. The only time I ever wake up before 6 and feel like springing out of bed is when I have jet lag. I savor it, falling into bed and waking up on an old-lady schedule for as long as I can, because I know it won't last.

It’s not the talking escalators at the airport or the doilies in the taxis – it’s the panicked moment when I wake up groggy and realize I've overslept that I know I’m back.

I'm back.