It Starts With J....

When I tell people that I have been living abroad and therefore out of a suitcase for the last four years, I usually get a reaction along the lines of "Wow, I could never fit all my stuff into just a few suitcases like that!!" Well yes, it is stressful during the packing process, and my loved ones have seen how real the struggle is. During those times, I think to myself, "What could be more difficult than packing my whole life into two suitcases and a carry-on?!?!" While that is a rhetorical question, I do have an answer. Learning Japanese might be even more difficult.

Why am I learning Japanese, you might ask....Well, because....

WE ARE MOVING TO JAPAN!

(私たちは日本に移住しています!)

(Is that even right??)

(Hint: had to use a translator for that one...)

For those of you who know Paco and/or me, (which probably accounts for everyone reading this, let's be honest), we have been teaching English in Australia for the last 2 years. We absolutely loved our workplace, coworkers, students, and entire life there, but unfortunately, our visas expired in December. During our time teaching there, we got to know students (who often became friends) from literally all over the world. Brazil, Columbia, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan were usually represented in every single classroom, while students from other countries were regularly mixed in. This means we are lucky enough to have friends wherever we go, and I am so excited to see our Japanese friends on their home turf. And given my superior lack of Japanese language skills, this is a relief. The teacher has officially become the student!

My awesome students sent me home with this signed Aussie flag 

that is proudly displayed above my favorite reading chair! <3

So you are probably wondering what we will be doing there. Well, I'll be eating ramen and sushi and okonomiyaki and takoyaki and seeing the cherry blossoms and.....Oh, you meant professionally? We are venturing into the university teaching world, I in accredited English and Paco in extracurricular English courses. Honestly, we don't know much about our placement yet, other than it's teaching university in Nagoya city, Aichi province. Our recruitment company has *thoroughly* vetted us (by that, I mean a two-month-long application process...), and we will hear more about our university placements in a few more weeks. Rumor has it, I'll be at an all-women's college in Chikusu ward, but that could change. We will be living in provided housing, and transportation and orientation is sorted for us, so really this should be less stressful than other moves. 

Except for me! I'll be moving April 2nd, but Paco won't join me until the end of April, so that means a month of navigating Japanese culture and language all on my own. Nothing like full-imersion to learn a language with three different alphabets! I'm already nervous about going to the grocery store for the first time...at least when I moved to Costa Rica, I could read the letters on the packages and understand the numbers on the cash register! Needless to say, Duolingo and I have quickly become BFFs. Ha! (Sidenote: shoutout to Miyoko and Saho for already being such patient friends and Japanese teachers!)

So, for now, I hope you enjoy following us on our journey in Japan, the country dubbed "the land of the rising sun," which is depicted on their flag. For now, it will be a one semester placement, but it is sure to be an action-packed one. 

Be on the lookout from co-blogger Paco as we receive updates about our placements! For now, さようなら(Sayōnara). (P.S. No translator needed for that one!)