Fourteen time zones

The first dispatch from the experiment — in transit

Dispatch from the field: traveling Korea and Japan while navigating my 90-day health experiment.

This is that dispatch.

Left for the airport on Thursday, 8:45am. Connection flight in Tokyo. Checked in at our hotel in Seoul around midnight local time (or ~10am Friday Chicago time).

Total travel time from home to hotel: ~25 hrs

What I ate:

Breakfast before taking off: a mug of Mud/Wtr (a mushroom adaptogen drink) + oatmeal.

Took my hot water thermos, packets of matcha, and walnuts.

Our 12:45pm flight to Tokyo included 3 meals. I pre-ordered the Japanese meal; it was better for my 90-day protocol. Thank god I did — my neighbor across the aisle tried to get the same thing and they had run out, so she had the Western Dining option. She said it wasn’t great.

2pm: Appetizer & entree was served (lunch).

2:45pm: Dessert option of cheese & crackers or ice cream sundae. I asked for just the vanilla ice cream and enjoyed two delicious scoops. It was surprisingly amazing.

The idea was to enjoy my meals and get responsibly satiated so I don’t reach for snacks or feel austere.

I had them top off my thermos with hot water three times during this trip. Twice, I put in matcha.

I meditated for an hour, then slept three hours on this flight.

The “Before Arrival” meal came around 11:40pm (Chicago time).

We’d be landing 2 hrs after this meal, at 3:30pm Tokyo time.

With a 4.5 hr connection to Seoul + 2.5 hr connection flight, we’d get to our hotel close to midnight local time.

I said yes to this meal.

Had the rice, pickled side, miso, and a quarter of the salmon.

We landed at 3:30pm — perfect timing for my 3pm audit: I felt only slightly tired. Relaxed-tired instead of wired-tired. Instead of sitting at the airport waiting for our connection to Seoul, I walked around, moved my body, and stretched. I refrained from staring at my phone the entire time. Then slept a solid hour on the last leg of our flight.

Unexpectedly, they served us a full meal. Didn’t know they did that on a two-hour flight!

It was 9pm Tokyo time. I felt I should have said no to it, but couldn’t refuse the bibimbop. Skipped the egg, bun, and dessert.

On that first night in Seoul, I did my bedtime stack and slept 5 solid hours.

Up at 5:30am. Wake-up stack: Bathroom ritual, hot water sips, stretch, and meditation.

Then walked the neighborhood before breakfast.

First meal at our hotel, 9am: mackerel, soft tofu, rice, ginseng tea, and (not pictured) “scraper” banchan: dark greens, kimchi

It was divine.

Skipped lunch altogether — intentionally. We both needed this intermittent fast.

The next meal would be at 5:30pm with family I hadn’t seen in lifetimes (12-52 years, depending on the member) — three aunts, one uncle, and one cousin.

One aunt ordered for everyone while the rest of us were distracted trying to communicate excitement to each other — they didn’t speak English and my Korean was kindergarten level.

6pm: Everyone was served this tray for dinner. In the pot: rice. On the right: two beef patties that tasted like bulgogi (I had one, it was amazing). Not pictured: mackerel — had the whole thing.

Old photos and gifts were passed around.

Below: I’m the 5-year old held by my aunt at the airport on the day I left Seoul to move to the States. Everyone in this pic were at the dinner.

Afterwards, Larry and I thought we’d partake in the 8pm nightlife…

…but we were wiped out in the best of ways.

My 9pm scan happened at 8:30 — and we both passed out.

My natural wake-up time this morning was at 4:30am. The 14 hour time transition happened without a hitch: my circadian rhythm adapted. And hopefully, meals over time zones proves to be the most challenging part .

— Savitree