See You!

I know that everything must come to an end, but it still doesn't make this any easier. The only thing that gives me comfort is knowing that I wouldn't feel this way if the year hadn't been absolutely amazing. And it was just that.

[Insert stories of my favorite memories; my last day of school ceremony; and everything that made this year THE BEST!]

So what now?

Now, I am taking a few days to relax, recover, and honestly binge on NETFLIX. If you've ever watched Gilmore Girls you'll understand this ... I just need some time to "wallow". 

And once I've wallowed, I have a huge task ahead of me. It's a personal project that I am taking on. In short, I am using my off-time to plan and prepare materials for the next school year. I want to continue to build on what I've learned from this year. I have a huge list of things that I want to make, buy, and create. I'm really excited about it!

Don't worry, I'm not holing myself up in my apartment. I have a well balanced routine prepared which includes working out, Japanese lessons, sightseeing, reading, and relaxing. 

I also have a huge trip coming up! I'm flying back to Texas. There's a lot I've missed and it will be so great to see my family and friends in person. But, it's just for vacation. I'm planning to spend another year in Japan. YAY!

Oh, and you'll be happy to know that I now have wifi in my apartment. My brother trouble shot my problem and helped me get back online. 

Next time I'll be sharing the most delicious Japanese meal I've eaten. It was an 8 course meal that almost looked too perfect too eat, ... almost. 

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is celebrated in Japan, but it's a little different. Instead of anyone giving gifts to people they like, love, admire, are thankful for ... etc., girls give chocolates to boys. There is a day in March called 'White Day' where boys return the gesture. They give girls white chocolate gifts. 

It was really interesting to learn about their cultural traditions. In return, I explained what many American's do on Valentine's Day and they were so surprised. They enjoyed hearing about couples going on dinner and movie dates, teachers getting gifts from their students, boys and girls exchanging Valentine's cards ... etc. It was all new information to them.

So I was happy that on Tuesday, February 14th I was spending the day with one of my favorite groups of students. They had a speech presentation to give in English that day. When they handed me their paper, I gave them a heart shaped Valentine sticker. You should have seen their reaction when they thought that I was giving them chocolate. Some of them looked panicked, but I put them at ease when I explained that they were just stickers and that they were for everyone.

Valentine's Day was by far one of my best school days this year.

[Insert story of my Valentine's day gift.]

P.S. Thank you to my family and friends who sent Valentine's Day cards. Thank you for thinking of me!

10 Days of School

Q&A with my students.

Q: How's the weather? A: It's snowy! 

Where is the time going? I'm staying present, I'm engaging, and still, it is flying by. This week I finished my 1st contract year at one of my JHS's. It was unbelievably sad and difficult to say goodbye to the faculty, staff, and students. I teared up and had that lump in your throat feeling more times than I could count. For about 7 months I have spent the majority of my time at school working. These people and these students have been my life and I am so grateful to know them. They've all left impressions on me in some form and I will carry these memories with me for years to come. Even though I know that all things must come to an end, it still doesn't make these endings any easier.

Some of the "Thank You" gifts I prepared for the staff.

My students surprised me with a scrapbook full of handwritten English notes. Tears definitely fell when they handed it to me. The school also gave me a bouquet of flowers during the morning meeting. I cried then, too.

I have 10 more days at my second JHS and then the year is officially over for me. I really can't imagine how next year could be any better than this one, but I can't wait to find out.

[Spoiler alert - It's not 100 percent, but I'm pretty sure I'll be teaching again next year.]

I'm finally starting to function normally with not having wifi in my apartment. This week I stayed busy with school work and crossed things off my to-do list that I've been dreading. I know I probably sound like a broken record -- no wifi -- no wifi -- no wifi -- but seriously, try going without internet access on your phone and see how you function. It's honestly like breaking an addiction. I have withdrawals and find myself pining for it. I've broken multiple times and turned on my cellular data. This is a problem because I have an international phone plan which has a reduced and very limited amount of data available. If I go over my allotted amount, there is a hefty charge. I'm anticipating that I'll be paying extra this month. [Let's talk soon Dad.] The charges I'll be incurring are definitely helping expedite my ability to cope with this new reality. 

What I've decided to do now is to make having internet connection on my phone a special occasion. Last Sunday and this Sunday, I went to Starbucks, ordered a tall latte, did some journaling, and happily logged into the wifi. I downloaded enough podcasts for the week and a couple new US Top 40 songs on Spotify. I binged on Snapchat, and made an Instagram post. I'm pretty sure I let out a sigh of relief when I had caught up on all my social media accounts. I'm laughing at myself because I realize how ridiculous that is, but it's the truth. I like social media and I like feeling like I am connected to my friends and family stateside. Since I cannot see them in person, social media helps fill that void. 

In case you were wondering: The TED Radio Hour podcasts Screen Time Part 1 & 2, have really opened my eyes to how mobile applications and mobile ability are affecting the way people function, act, and make decisions. I find it fascinating and worrisome at the same time. It's giving me a new perspective. Click here to listen to them.

This weekend I went to see Cirque du Soleil - TOTEM with my friend R from Japanese Conversation Class. I had never seen a show before. It was completely mesmerizing. I cannot wait to go to another one. Since I'm having a hard time putting into words how I feel about the performance, here's the LA Times,

"Totem is the celebration of sheer human achievement and audience appreciation is simply thrilling. It's why we love Cirque du Soleil, and always will." 

Click to Watch: TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil Official Trailer

So here's how we spent our day in Fukuoka:

Hakozaki Temple, Fukuoka, Japan

Hakozaki Temple Gardens, Fukuoka, Japan 

TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil - とても楽しかった

"Let's enjoy!" - 楽しもう

Hakozaki Seaside Park, Fukuoka, Japan

I'll never say 'no' to being at the beach. 40 degrees on the coast is OK with me!

Sushi-Go-Round, Hakozaki, Fukuoka, Japan

Sushi-Go-Round, Hakozaki, Fukuoka, Japan

[salmon, eel, shrimp tempura, ramen, Mont Blanc dessert, ... etc.]

Yellow Tail fish & black ramen

Mont Blanc dessert and matcha

Hakozaki, Fukuoka, Japan

Today was one of those magical days. The kind of days that come when you least expect them. Today was more than enjoyable, it was forever memorable. I'm looking forward to the days ahead, but I'm also preparing myself for the sad goodbyes. 10 more days.

BIG NEWS!

I'm coming stateside for a vacation! I'm not sure when, but I know I've got a trip to plan. I'm so excited I've made myself homesick. I keep thinking about HGTV, Costco, Starbucks, driving my car, using my credit card, and ... speaking normal, American English. 

Family and friends, I can't wait to see you! 

15 Days of School

A couple of weeks ago I started to 'unplug' my life. It's a good thing I did because now I am without wifi in my apartment. I have access to the internet through my laptop which is connected to a LAN line. I'm having flashbacks to my freshman year in college -- Ligon was not equipped with functioning wifi. 

It's not the end of the world and I'm sure I'll eventually get it fixed. Right now, my focus is on finishing the end of the school year strong. I'm taking advantage of this limited online time to organize lesson plans and create English materials for my schools.  

I'll be honest, though, I miss scrolling through pictures on Instagram and my newsfeed on Facebook. Looking at those applications from a laptop is not the same. It's considerably less enjoyable. 

The silver lining to all of this is I am being forced to spend my time more wisely. Instead of streaming Netflix on my iPad in the background while I do things on my laptop, I focus on one task at a time and finish it or come to a clear stopping point before moving onto the next one. 

What's been hard is realizing how much time I waste aimlessly scrolling through apps. Not having wifi, as inconvenient as it may be, it's a good change of pace for me. I'm doing my best to embrace it.

----- but the #millenial in me is freaking out.

So here's how I spent this past week ...

I watched the friends I study Japanese with competing in the annual

Kitakyushu International Association Speech Contest.

Shoko-san and I loved supporting them! 

Japanese Conversation Table participants

I had a great week with my JHS students.

I had my weekly study session at Starbucks where I practiced writing the hiragana characters.

I also enjoyed the wifi!

Starbucks order: tall hot latte

With only 15 days left of school, I am beginning to plan my trip to the US. I am getting really excited about seeing my family and friends. I've got a long list of things I want to do when I'm back home. As enjoyable as the Japanese culture is, there are still many things I miss about America. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be making my trip back, but I cannot wait!

Here are ten things I'm looking forward to off the top of my head:

1. Using my Starbucks gold card to order

2. Shopping in Costco and buying a case of water bottles

3. Driving a car

4. BBQ brisket and french fries

5.Movie theater popcorn and diet coke

6. Snickers bars

7. Using a plastic card to pay instead of cash & coins

8. Hulu 

9. Magazines in English - Vogue, Harper's Bazar, Forbes

10. Speaking American English everywhere