Here and back again?

This week the JET Program posted their application online. My husband and my original plan, before getting our BA, doing the study abroad program and having a child, was for both of us to apply and live in Japan for at least a year. When I first returned from my study abroad program, I wanted nothing to do with this plan. I was very tired and shell shocked and needing to be home for a while. But as time has passed I find myself missing many of the day to day aspects of Japan. So recently we have decided to go ahead with a modified version of our original plan.

So my husband is applying for the JET Program this month, he is working on all the parts of the application process and the craziness is beginning. It isn't really an option for me to apply with him since there are a lot of factors involved, the possibility that we wouldn't be placed together, the need to find childcare for O (which I'm not sure I would want to do anyway), and the fact that I still haven't resolved my degree so that I can graduate. I am hoping that the degree problem will be resolved before we go (if we go) so that there is a possibility I could get a part time job outside of JET.

In the meantime I am doing a lot of research about JET and living in Japan, but it is actually a bit hard to find information about bringing a family. I think that is because most JETs are young and single. There are also a lot of varying factors, such as not knowing where exactly where we would end up if he is accepted. It would be really nice if we can end up near Nagasaki since we already have friends and familiarity there, but we won't know until it happens. So I figure that I will share my experiences so that others will know what we go through.

Final Daze

The last few weeks have been filled with mixed emotions and a frenzy of activity. Doctors appointments, final exams, packing and last moments spent with good friends who I may never see again face to face. These last few weeks were not without happy moments though, festivals, concerts, karaoke and laughter also filled my days with memories that will last the rest of my life.




There are so many more things about my trip I wanted to share with everyone online, but as life got more hectic I focused more on the experiences rather than documenting everything. But I have more than enough pictures and memories to continue writing about my adventures for quite a while, even after I return home.




Japan is amazing, interesting and very strange. It's just like anywhere else in a lot of ways and yet there are so many things that make it so unique. Nagasaki is beautiful and vibrant, alive with old and new culture and so many things to see and do. I am so thankful for the opportunity to come here and expand my worldview.




So now I am here at my last day in Nagasaki, with only a few days left before I return to the US. I am happy to be returning to the familiarity of my home and family but there are definitely people and things in Japan that I will miss. So I bid farewell to the land of the rising sun, it's quirks and beauty as well as its faults. And I hope some day I will be able to revisit this wonderful land and discover what new adventures await me in the future.

Location:Nagasaki,Japan

School Field trip pt. 3

After the lunch and Saikai Bridge we got back on the bus for about an hour and then stopped at the Strawberry Forest. It was INCREDIBLE! They let you in for 45 minutes with a pair of scissors and you eat as many strawberries as your stomach can hold. They were gorgeous, ripe, juicy and sweet and I think it was one of the funnest things I've done so far. They are also addictive, not matter how full we were there was always another beautiful ripe strawberry and we would have to eat "just one more".

After that was the Bio Park. It was a zoo that had very few enclosures so the animals were able to wander around and interact with people. There were a lot of monkeys and parrots. It was smaller than I expected but enjoyable none the less. The strangest part was that there was a petting area for domesticated animals like cats, dogs and rabbits.

School Field trip pt. 2

Our next stop on our field trip was Sikai Bridge Park overlooking an inlet from the sea. When the water from the ocean hits the water in the bay it creates whirlpools. The large bridge built over the water has an amazing view of the whirlpools as well as the beautiful trees and flowers on either side.

We ate lunch at Toto Market and they served a multi-course traditional Japanese meal. We sat at the fish table but there was also a chicken table. Some of the Japanese teacher sat at our table and helped us understand how to eat the unusual food. Some of it (the shrimp, sashimi and grilled vegetables) were delicious and other parts (some kind of custard with mushrooms and...some other things we couldn't identify) were not so good. But all in all it was filling and a fun experience.

After lunch we were free to walk around for a while so we went over the bridge. On the other side was a grove of sakura (cherry) trees in full bloom. With the contrasting blue/green water and the fresh air it was just breathtaking.

School Field trip Pt. 1

After a week long orientation to get ready for school in Japan, the end of the week was a field trip. Some parts were cultural, others just about experiencing the beauty of the area but the whole day was  wonderful. We began a the school where we all piled into two large charter buses.

Our first stop was a rest stop overlooking the ocean where we all posed for a group photo and to take pictures of our own. I really can't tell you how gorgeous Nagasaki is, but you can see for yourself. The air was fresh and moist and there were all kinds of birds singing and flying around.

After that we went to Satome where we toured Shitsu church which was built by a French priest, and a fantastic Museum of History and Folklore. The museum was filled with old tools, cooking implements, fishing gear and all kinds of other old household goods. There was also quite a few artifacts from Nagasaki's Christian past.  But my favorite part of the museum was the spinning wheels and looms and the different fibers that were used with them. It was very interesting.