Well its been a long time since I posted anything on here. For a while, I thought I'd stop but enjoy randomly coming back and reading it like a journal that friends and family can see if they want.
TRANSITION:
Its been a lot of transition in this whole moving back to America. For the first month or so it was really hard. Japan kind of became what I knew and America was like this foreign land. I actually kind of liked not being able to understand what others around me were saying for the past 4 years. It makes things a little more peaceful.
I took some time to travel right before coming home as an extended layover style ticket which I felt was super smart and cost me next to nothing. I flew from Tokyo to Atlanta to Orlando to Grand Rapids all for about the same price as flying to Michigan.
Luckily, though it wasn't easy coming home, I had so many people that stepped up and just helped me out without thinking twice about it. Its hard to have to humble yourself for a month or two after living on your own in a different culture for the past 4 years. Yet, there were so many people who opened their homes to me. I felt truly blessed and was able to accomplish something I longed for while in Japan. That was to spend quality time with great people I missed the last 4 years.
"So you lived in Japan for 4 years? Why did you leave? You're moving to Abilene, Texas from Michigan? Why don't you just teach in Michigan?"
I've heard a million different spins to these questions pretty much every time I meet somebody. I've tried to think of some interesting answers. But the truth is really simple, It is time and the move just kind of felt right.
Coming home, I really had no clue what I wanted to do. Should I go back to school? Should I move to a new country? Should I teach or try something else new?
Just to have a glimpse of my thought process here are job offers/opportunities that appeared out of thin air that I turned down for different reasons: teach in Korea, teach in Egypt, work for AAA travel agency, work for a traveling health program for kids, teach in Dubai, teach in Korea again (they must really need teachers). Honestly, coming home I didn't truly know I wanted to be an elementary teacher. But I thought it was worth pursuing. I also knew that I wanted to get outside of my hometown and live in a new place. So I applied all over the place for teaching jobs pretty much haphazardly looking for good schools in areas as well as international education opportunities. I also strongly believe its not what you know but you know in pursuing a job so I reached out to friends that were teachers in other states.
Low and behold there was a teaching opportunity in Abilene, Texas. I should mention I knew very little to nothing about this area before I applied. I just knew it was in Texas and had friends that went to college there. That's honestly it. But I did research the school and the area a little bit as I found out I got an interview (I'm not that crazy). The interview went well enough that I got the job a few days later. I took the weekend to think about it but I never found myself passing it up. So that brings me to sitting here in Abilene preparing for the new school year as a 4th grade Science and Social Studies teacher.
I'm slowly trying to figure out my classroom while at the same time trying to figure out why they have these roads that ride parallel to the highway everywhere and what exactly is in the green dip sauce at the grocery store. It's a lot to take in and a new adventure for sure. I could definitely use prayers in this transition and settling down here in this country they call Texas. I'll update y'all soon!
TRANSITION:
Its been a lot of transition in this whole moving back to America. For the first month or so it was really hard. Japan kind of became what I knew and America was like this foreign land. I actually kind of liked not being able to understand what others around me were saying for the past 4 years. It makes things a little more peaceful.
I took some time to travel right before coming home as an extended layover style ticket which I felt was super smart and cost me next to nothing. I flew from Tokyo to Atlanta to Orlando to Grand Rapids all for about the same price as flying to Michigan.
Luckily, though it wasn't easy coming home, I had so many people that stepped up and just helped me out without thinking twice about it. Its hard to have to humble yourself for a month or two after living on your own in a different culture for the past 4 years. Yet, there were so many people who opened their homes to me. I felt truly blessed and was able to accomplish something I longed for while in Japan. That was to spend quality time with great people I missed the last 4 years.
"So you lived in Japan for 4 years? Why did you leave? You're moving to Abilene, Texas from Michigan? Why don't you just teach in Michigan?"
I've heard a million different spins to these questions pretty much every time I meet somebody. I've tried to think of some interesting answers. But the truth is really simple, It is time and the move just kind of felt right.
Coming home, I really had no clue what I wanted to do. Should I go back to school? Should I move to a new country? Should I teach or try something else new?
Just to have a glimpse of my thought process here are job offers/opportunities that appeared out of thin air that I turned down for different reasons: teach in Korea, teach in Egypt, work for AAA travel agency, work for a traveling health program for kids, teach in Dubai, teach in Korea again (they must really need teachers). Honestly, coming home I didn't truly know I wanted to be an elementary teacher. But I thought it was worth pursuing. I also knew that I wanted to get outside of my hometown and live in a new place. So I applied all over the place for teaching jobs pretty much haphazardly looking for good schools in areas as well as international education opportunities. I also strongly believe its not what you know but you know in pursuing a job so I reached out to friends that were teachers in other states.
Low and behold there was a teaching opportunity in Abilene, Texas. I should mention I knew very little to nothing about this area before I applied. I just knew it was in Texas and had friends that went to college there. That's honestly it. But I did research the school and the area a little bit as I found out I got an interview (I'm not that crazy). The interview went well enough that I got the job a few days later. I took the weekend to think about it but I never found myself passing it up. So that brings me to sitting here in Abilene preparing for the new school year as a 4th grade Science and Social Studies teacher.
I'm slowly trying to figure out my classroom while at the same time trying to figure out why they have these roads that ride parallel to the highway everywhere and what exactly is in the green dip sauce at the grocery store. It's a lot to take in and a new adventure for sure. I could definitely use prayers in this transition and settling down here in this country they call Texas. I'll update y'all soon!
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