Experiencing the highs and lows of world travel

I try to disregard cultural stereotypes because, in my experience, not all Americans are stupid, not all Parisians are snobby, and not all Swedes are blonde-haired, blue-eyed supermodels.

There is one stereotype, however, that I'm yet to dismiss. And that's because I'm yet to meet a Japanese person who isn't "really lovely".

Last year, I took up an internship in Japan. I got to sample sashimi, reciprocate the polite bows of shop assistants, attempt to decipher Tokyo's subway, and meet lovely Japanese people. I experienced the best of Japan.

But then one day at the office, there was an earthquake. The desks and the walls started to vibrate. Then chairs began to roll away. And finally the entire skyscraper started to sway, throwing computers off desks and cupboards onto floors.

Everyone clambered underneath their desks. As the building swayed from side to side I sat curled up underneath my desk, terrified. It was, for me, far scarier than anything I'd ever experienced.

Underneath the desk next to mine sat a young Japanese woman whom I'd never met. She too looked scared. I imagine her thoughts were concerned with the safety of her family and friends. But despite her fear, she grabbed my hand - the hand of a stranger - and held it firmly. She didn't say anything, but with a look on her face that could transcend any language barrier, she made me feel as safe as I possibly could during a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.

I never learnt this stranger's name, but I think about her often. When I got stuck in a London riot in early August of 2011, I thought of her. When I was cranky about having to sleep on the floor of the Athens International Airport due to widespread protests, I was reminded that there are so many worse things that could be happening. This encounter made me believe two things: that Japanese people are truly lovely, and that I can never again whinge about delayed flights or lost baggage, because, after this, there's nothing about travel that I can't handle.