久しぶりです (Long Time, No See)

Talk about a hiatus! But this was, very much so, unintentional. I've been meaning to get back to blogging, but...life (am I right? 😅)

So, I did it. I moved abroad. I finally made it to Japan, despite the uncertainties of border closures and restrictions. I happened to be lucky enough to get in during a 3-month window where Japan opened its borders for business travel and new, incoming foreign residents (me).

It's actually already been 4 months that I've been here now. I know, I've really fallen behind. But there was so much hecticness and chaos leading up to, during, and after the move that I just kind of got a little worn out, and then fell out of things entirely. It's the new year now, and I'm trying to get into a set rhythm now that I'm settled in. I'm yearning for an adventure, I want to post more content on my travel IG @theventurenovice , and I want to work harder at learning Japanese.

So, anyway, here's the rundown. I moved to Hiroshima Prefecture in Fall 2021. I, first, spent two weeks in quarantine in Tokyo before I finally made my way down here. I'm teaching as an English Expressions teacher at an academic high school (I'm also an assistant English teacher at a lower-level high school that I travel to on Fridays only). My co-workers have been really nice. I love my students. They're really impressive and studious kids. I've got my place all settled. I'm living in a 1R apartment. No car, but my school is within walking distance, and I was gifted a bike by one of my co-teachers - which has been awesome for getting around town. Aside from that, I take the train to anywhere outside of my town. All-in-all, I've been really blessed. I hear the stories that some of the other ALTs (assistant language teachers) have about their schools, kids, and co-teachers, and I can't complain about much, in comparison.

It's currently winter out here, and I haven't experienced this kind of cold back in Cali. Especially because I don't have a car, so I have to actually endure the weather anytime I go anywhere. I'm getting used to it, but I'm definitely getting the most use out of my heater lol. There was a major 6.1-magnitude earthquake when I was quarantined in Tokyo, and we recently had a 6.4-mag out here in Hiroshima. Let me tell you...they are completely different from the earthquakes that I'm used to in Cali. Like, it feels like you've got to start planning for the worst when these things get shaking lol. But we'll see what the weather and natural phenomena during the rest of the year are like. Spring will start in March, and then typhoon season will arrive in June/July, followed by a hot and humid summertime. I arrived in Sept/Oct, but Fall never really happened. It was summer weather for about 2 weeks, then it cooled down a bit to fall-like temps for about another 2-3 weeks, and it's been winter ever since lol. It just dropped, and it's been like this since November. But I'm ready for the warm up so that I can get to exploring and hiking.

On a more personal note, in the time that I've been here, I've also experienced two losses of loved ones, the winter holidays, and a birthday. So, I've learned that life keeps moving regardless of where I am, and I've got to take advantage of, and appreciate, things while I can. The days are moving quickly, and I want to make the most out of my time here.

I've already signed my contract for the 2022-2023 year, meaning that I'll be here until, at least, August 2023. It seems like such a long time from now - 17 months - but I know it'll go by in a flash. Sometimes I regret that I didn't come to Japan sooner, when I was first accepted in 2018 - I'd have been in my 4th year by now - but, that's the past. I'm going to stay focus on now, and the future.

Let's see where Japan takes me...