One year later

This week marks one year in Japan for me... and a lot of others who came with me. Some are choosing to return back to America, some, like me, are staying on for at least one more year.

I can't decide whether this year seems incredibly long or incredibly short. It's an increment of time... but beyond that, I don't have one unifying thought about it.


Our moving van.

It's always good to reflect on the past--not to determine regrets, but to realize how far you've come, and the things you've accomplished. If I have a goal for my second year in Japan, it's to stop squashing my excitement at things that are new to me. Here, we are always the "newbies", with more seasoned foreigners treating things that to us are exciting and fresh as common place events. One thing working with small children for many years has taught me is that it's ok to look at the world as a child does... taking delight in simple things... because really, what else is there? It's a mentality I've allowed myself to forget with this transition to Japan, and one I desperately want to recapture.

Over one year ago, A and I ordered a bottle of our favorite beer from my all-time favorite brewery, Perennial Artisan Ales in St. Louis. Along with our favorite local Mexican restaurant, we ate our "last supper" on the floor of our apartment before heading off with our moving truck to my mother's house in Minnesota.


Banquet attire.

After some harrowing transportation ordeals, before I knew it I was in the sky squashed in the middle seat of a 5 seat row for a 14 hour flight to Tokyo. It is not one of my better memories. So, jet lagged and a little stressed, I dragged myself through Tokyo orientation.

Still slightly jet-lagged, I boarded a bus for Nagano and was met by what seemed like an entire committee, but was really only three people. Then commenced a dizzying series of errands to various stores, all done in a suit in 90+ degree heat. Eventually I arrived "home" for the first time.


Actually, I didn't have curtains for a week, which resulted in an awkward meeting with the PE teacher whose front door faces that patio window.

I got used to things like driving on the left side of the road, having no dryer or air conditioning, and surviving without internet for over two weeks. Alan arrived in mid-August, and we embarked on adventure after adventure... in retrospect, a very very bad idea. In orientation, everyone tells you to stay busy, accept every invitation, and not waste any time sitting around your house. Well, sometimes you need to sit around your house to process the fact you just moved to a foreign country where something as simple as going the post office requires immense planning. We overestimated our ability to adapt quickly to so much change at once, and our constant traveling made it worse. 

One of our first big adventures was a 5 hour drive to Canyons in Gunma.  A five hour drive in the U.S. is relatively easy, on nice, flat interstates.  In Japan, a 5 hour drive for foreigners too cheap to pay expressway tolls is a windy, narrow mountain road from hell.  After arriving ill and out of sorts, we proceeded to relieve our stress by throwing ourselves down some waterfalls.

In America, I liked to challenge myself by doing things that scared me just to prove I could.  But here in Japan, everything is scary and difficult.  Just speaking is a risk, because there's a 50-50 chance you and the people you are trying to communicate with won't understand each other. Living with this constant underlying stress makes taking the risks I could take easily in America monumental challenges here in Japan.

We did manage to make it to Fukushima last October, and had a humbling experience in the evacuated area.  It's one of the most meaningful experiences I've had so far, and of course, we got our lovely cat, Akari out of the deal as well.  She was a real trooper, making it the 8 hours across Fukushima and Niigata, down the Japan Sea and south through Nagano, hiding under the seat and cuddling in our laps the whole while.  If you ever have the chance to support the Japan Cat Network, either through volunteering, a monetary donation, or supplies, please check out their website here: http://www.japancatnet.org

First time snowshoeing.

First time snowboarding.

Winter arrived and at first we enjoyed the outrageous amounts of snow, the likes of which I'd  never even seen growing up in North Dakota.  Snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmen...

But never ending winter without central heating starts to wear on you, and ten pounds heavier I emerged in Karuizawa, ready to burn it off with a weekend workshop with my favorite yoga teacher, Kathryn Budig.  It's ironic really that she had to come all the way here for me to be able to practice with her, as I could never have afforded the cost in the U.S.  But here, it was an easy 2.5 hour drive to one of our favorite (and most expensive) towns in Japan.  Despite breaking off an old dental cap (it was easily fixed upon return by the wonders of Japanese dentistry), it was one of my favorite trips to date!

Me and Kathryn Budig. I'm such a dork, I wore my bliss ninja shirt on purpose, knowing she had the same one.:) Check her out on yogaglo.com!

Spring is amazing here in Japan, and you really earn every beautiful blossom after suffering through the winter.  I've never been so happy to see a new season in my entire life.  Everyone is happier too--the new school year begins, people are excited and positive... it's contagious.

The top of Mt. Fuji, 3776 meters/12,388.5 feet high. 4:30 a.m!

Now that summer is in swing, we have switched to climbing mountains.  While our first major attempt was an epic fail, Fuji-san was a success--two weeks before they started charging admission!  Woohoo!  It's humbling to stand on a country's highest mountain top, and the world looks a lot different.

With a whole year looming ahead of us, we have more adventures planned.  A hike to the top of Mt. Okuhotakadake in late August, Japan's third highest mountain.  A two day kayaking trip.  A marathon for me in November (click here to support it: http://www.gofundme.com/3qu9ow). Working on our iaido practice.  Joining the local taiko group. Finish my second Masters and TESOL certification.  It's going to be a busy year.

But despite all of the adventures and goals, we want to remember to stay grounded.  It's so easy to get caught up in things that don't matter here... as foreigners, we will always stand out, and no matter how hard we try, we will never blend in, and we will never follow all the "rules".  I have to remember that I am also here as a cultural ambassador of sorts, and I not only have to adapt to Japanese culture, but people must adapt to me.  Maybe this coming year, we can meet a little more in the middle...