Traveling to Tokyo- a balance of pitfalls and successes

Traveling always stresses me out. The night before leaving for Tokyo, I decided not to dwell on the worries, because I didn't know what to expect for sure and if I started worrying too much, it would consume me. As it turned out, what I thought would be easy turned into major problems, and where I thought I would struggle, turned out to flow very smoothly. So here is the run down...
 1. PITFALL- when picking up my boarding pass in SFO, the lady at the ticket counter asked me where my Japan visa was. I looked at her strangely. I had been told by my program that I wouldn't need a visa until I started working. Her argument was that since my return plane ticket had me staying in the country for 9 months I would need a visa right away. Tourists visiting Japan for 90 days or less, can do so without a visa. She was able to check me and my bags to LA, but I would have to deal with the visa problem later. Fine!
 2. PITFALL- My SFO-LA flight was continuing on to Toronto Canada, and only a few of us got off in LA. When I went down to baggage claim, only one of my suitcases was there! After hassling with the claims counter, they took down my information and sent me on my way so I could make my next flight (so the bag is probably on its way to Toronto).
 3. SUCCESS- The Korean ticket counter had no problem issuing me a boarding pass! Hurray! I was going to make it to Tokyo! (Well, at least to the airport in Narita, right?)

4. PITFALL- Serious turbulence during our 10.5 hour flight to Tokyo makes me queasy, overheated, and to my dismay, as we start to descend, I throw up- repeatedly!
 5. SUCCESS- No problem getting money from the ATM
 6. SUCCESS- No problem informing Korean Air (in Tokyo) about my lost bag- they will send it to my Tokyo apartment!
 7. SUCCESS- Mobile phone rental! (and its been tested, and it works!)
 8. SUCCESS- purchasing a PASMO- the train/metro card!
 9. SUCCESS- racing onto the CORRECT train and getting assurance from another passenger that yes, this train was going to stop at the transfer point I wanted!
 10. SUCCESS- transferring trains...flawlessly, I might add
 11. SUCCESS- calling a teacher at my program who was going to give me directions to the apartment from the train station, but in fact decided to pick me up - even better! He is from Singapore! (so I referenced hawker stalls!) and his English was flawless!
 12. Moving into my new apartment (stay tuned for photos!)
 That is why worrying would have gotten me nowhere. Because really, I would have worried about the things that turned out to be the easiest!!