There was a piece of paper taped to the ground with instructions about where my bike had been taken. The next day I went to the storage facility and found over a thousand bikes there. I had to pay a fine, sign a form, and then tell them when and where the bike was taken. The person then led me to a row of bikes that had all been taken on that same day, from the same location. I identified my bike, proved it was mine by unlocking it, and rode away.
These experiences taught me the importance of taking everything in stride. Sometimes, unexpected things will happen and you have to deal with them. Sometimes, you don't know where you are going or what will happen when you get there, but you still have to go. Sometimes, you make mistakes, but you learn from them. Throughout it all, it is important to stay calm and positive and tackle life one step at a time.
Japan's train system is strongly connected to Japan's history. Until the 1850s, Japan had isolated itself from foreigners. No foreigners were allowed to enter and no Japanese people were allowed to leave. So while the rest of the world developed and shared cutting edge technologies, Japan lagged behind. In the 1850s, Japan opened its borders and realized that there was a lot to learn from other countries. They sent people all over the world, to learn the best aspects of other countries and integrate them into Japanese society. One of these aspects was the railroad. Because Japan started building the railroad so much later than other countries, it was able to learn about what worked best and what didn't. Therefore, it was able to build a train system that is now one of the best in the world.
