My first night...

I spent my first night in my apartment.  It was a little scary, but not bad  I sleep in the room with the air condictioner, so that is good.  My supervisor stayed for a while and then asked if I was going to be lonely after she left.  I thought that was nice.  My supervisor is really nice!  I am so happy with her.  Actually she and another older teacher came to get me yesterday in Mito, the prefecture capital.  I was happy to have two people come and get me.  They bought me lunch and then we drove back.  It was a long drive back.  They said I am closer to Tokyo than I am to Mito.  I am happy to be close to Tokyo.  Bando City (where I live) isn't that exciting like Yokosuka was.  I am close enough to Yokosuka though.  I can probably go down every weekend if I want.  Maybe at first I will go a lot, then less later.   First I have to figure out how to get to my nearest train.  My predecessor is going to show me that today or tomorrow.  Then I will get to my nearest JET neighbor.  I plan on spending a lot of time with her as well.  I don't know, I guess right now I am a little overwhelmed, but I have good people helping me and each day will get better.  In Chicago they told us about taking advantage of each day as a JET because it goes by so fast.  They said each day that goes by is one less day in Japan.  They said it helps you get through the bad days in Japan.  They also said it makes you feel bad on the good days in Japan!  I have already been here for a few days, so my countdown has already begun!  Plus once I figure out a what is going on and a routine, things will be fine!  That is about all for now.  I will write more soon.

Ten things I am nervous/sad/scared/thinking about....

Today I went to Yokosuka and saw my friends pictured below (Kate, Alison and Steven).  It was a little overwhelming.  For one, it has changed down there.  Second, they were talking about base things that I had no idea about and it made me feel a little sad because at one time I would know what they were talking about :(  However, I did enjoy listening to it.  Third I was really late to see them because I took the wrong train.  Actually it was the right train until it split off somewhere.  Luckily I knew where I was and was able to get back, but NOT in a timely manner.  I was almost an hour late..... Fourth, back in Tokyo the Yamanote Train line was delayed due to LIGHTING striking it!  It made me late getting back to my hotel.  Fifth, because of the rain I almost fell.  Many sidewalks in cities here are tiled, not concrete and I slipped.  Sixth, there was construction at the ShinJuku train station which caused me to go out the wrong exit.  I wondered around looking for a skyscraper that looked familiar, luckily I found one quickly and made it back to the hotel safely.  Seventh, I am nervous about learning Japanese.  Can I do it?  I keep thinking of things in English, then Spanish then Twi (yes I remember some Twi).....I am so confused.....  Eighth, I feel like I am going to be isolated and lonely at my school/apartment/town....but so does the girl that is close to me....maybe we can hang out......  Ninth, what if I am not a good teacher?  What if I don't like it or I get bored, or the students hate me, or the teachers, or my SUPERVISOR (not again)?  Tenth, driving in Japan.  It's on the left side, it's expensive, and I have to do it.  What if I can't find a good car?  In Japan car owners have to pay for an emissions check every two years and it is expensive (think $1,000 or more!) plus insurance, plus gas is like $6.50 a gallon here.....it is too much.  However, I can get a good car here for way cheaper than in the states.  I will only drive for school purposes (I get paid back for it) and the shakken (emissions check) is every two years, so I can save for it. 

The above are just things on my mind....

And then I saw my friends again...

More hotel pictures...

Just a little update

Hey Everyone!  Things are going really well in Tokyo.  I have been really busy.  Yesterday we had some meetings and some workshops.  I went to the JET Fair and got information about the Christian JET group (whose meeting I attended last night), Habitat for Humanity, going to Graduate School in Japan and a JET group that does volunteer trips in Thailand and India during school breaks.  I didn't know there was so much to do here, I am excited about it.  Today I have some more meetings and workshops.  Then I will meet my predecessor in the late afternoon.  Tonight I am going to Yokosuka to see my friends, I am so excited!  I am attaching more views from my hotel room.  At dusk I can see the outline of Mt Fuji from it!  If it wasn't so polluted i would be able to see it clearly.  That is about all for now.  I hope everyone is doing well.  Take care.

Hotel Room and Views

I made it...

I made it to Tokyo!  I was a little nervous on the plane, but once I got off I felt like I was home again.  I am staying at this really nice hotel.  The website is here is http://www.keioplaza.com/index.html it is a really nice place.  I forgot how nice the Japanese are.  They are really organized too.  I read in our orientation booklet that there are about 4,700 of us coming.  We are from all over the world; mostly the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France (don't ask me why, I don't know), New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Jamaica, and maybe a few here and there from various places in Europe.  This hotel is hosting all of us.  I got off the bus and went upstairs.  They handed me my name tag, gave me all the booklets I will need for the next few days, gave me my room key and already had my luggage waiting for me.  The Japanese are amazing!  Plus they are doing this for thousands of us.  Actually I think only half of us are here right now and the other half are coming next week, but still that is quite a task to take on.   Anyway, it is good to be back!

On the Eve of leaving...

Hey!  I went through my meeting in Chicago today.  It actually wasn't that bad.  I met some people that will be close to me.  I actually met the girl that will be in Yokosuka (that is where I was before) so that was cool.  I leave for Japan tomorrow at 12:50pm.  I will arrive sometime on Sunday.  I am not really nervous, I am excited but not too excited.  I am still scared something "bad" will happen, but I don't want to be negative.  I guess I am just going with no expectations.  I think that is the healthy thing to do....

Below is some pictures of people who have been in my life in the past year.  If I missed you I am sorry.  I probably don't have a picture of you!  I want to thank everyone for being there for me after I came back from Africa.  The past year has been hard, but I am starting to realize how truly blessed I am.  I am so thankful to have such good friends and family.  I am also thankful that I have the chance to go back to Japan.  I am still sad that Ghana didn't work out, but the mourning ends today.  I have a chance to start over and I am taking full advantage of that chance.....

Getting Ready

Well, I arrived in Chicago and I am getting ready to go to our meeting.  I am nervous about it!  For one, I hate being in big groups.  Two, I am nervous they are going to tell me I forgot something I need to bring to Japan with me.  Either way the meeting is only two hours, I think I can handle that.  I am in Chicago with my dad and we are having a good time.  We like to just drive around and look at houses and different buildings.  I am staying at a Holiday Inn Express near O'Hare airport and it is fun to watch the planes land.  Oh....I better get to the meeting.  I will write more later....

Getting close...

I leave for Japan in under two weeks.  I am nervous, but not in a way you might think.  I am just afraid something is going to happen and I will have to come home right away, like I did in Africa.  I just can't convince myself that this time it will be different.  It is hard because I put everything I had into going to Africa.  I am afraid to put all I have into Japan, what if I fail?  

I talked to a friend today that has been to Ghana.  I haven't really talked to her since I have been home, so I had to tell her all that happened.  I must admit I had been kind of avoiding her just because she has been there.  I know it is dumb, but I have been doing it.  

Random Thoughts...

Well, here I am about three weeks out from leaving for Japan.  The past few months have been though.  Actually, they have been the worst of my life.  I know what you are thinking and I agree, things could have been a lot worse.  I just feel like my life has been pointless since I left Africa.  I really don't know why, I guess I just put everything into Africa...being there makes me a good person hence leaving makes me a bad person.  Plus the aftermath has been bad.  I think everyone thought coming home, I would be ok.  Girl goes to Africa, girl has a problem in Africa, girl leaves Africa, problem solved, right?  It wasn't like that though.  I always knew going there would change my life, I just didn't think it would in this way.  It has effected everything, my self worth, my relationships with people, my faith, everything.  I really hope going back to Japan will give me a chance to heal.  I want to be myself again.  Have you ever laughed really hard?  Like you laugh so hard your face hurts?  Have you ever laughed so hard in the aftermath you realize you can't remember the last time you laughed?  That is how I feel.  I can't remember the last time I really laughed.  Don't get me wrong, I have had some good times.  But I can't remember the last time I laughed.  I can't remember the last time I was "myself."  I don't even know who I am anymore...