nashvilletonihon

[nashvilletonihon]

An Overseas Love Affair (Or, How I Went From Miss To Mrs.)

This is a long overdue and much needed entry but school really hit me outta nowhere in April and hasn’t stopped. Everyone is just trying to make it to summer holiday at the end of this month which still feels like a million light years away. We haven’t had any vacation days since Golden Week and it’s the longest stretch without a random weekday off we’ve had since I arrived. (I think.)

My one year Japanniversary is coming up in August and I’ll have a totally separate post to sum up all that’s happened in the last year, but there is one major event that needs (and deserves) it’s own entry. 

I’ve thought long and hard about how to approach telling the story of my overseas marriage. (Yep, that’s right. I got married.) I had everything from a very detailed and third person point of view story, right down to a simple Q&A that was about as bare bones as you could get. But nothing seemed quite right...

So I decided on a simple recounting of the events that lead me up to March 22nd, 2019. (My  wedding day.) It may not be spectacular in any way, but to me, it’s the story of how I met my husband. Which is pretty spectacular in and of itself. Enjoy.

The first time I saw Jacob Goodwin Griswold I was sleep deprived, dehydrated, sweaty and exhausted. I was back in my suit sitting in a new hotel conference room in Kyoto City waiting for the next, of what seemed like a never-ending supply of workshops, to begin. I had no idea what I was doing in Japan and was 100% ready to call everything off and fly back home to the States. I missed my family, my cat, my friends and my boyfriend. I was depressed and anxious. As I was sitting there I noticed this guy over in the corner by the table set up for our Prefectural Adviser and Board of Education JET Coordinator. He didn’t particularly stand out in any way. He was tucked up behind the table and the wall, not really talking to anyone, more so observing than doing much else. I didn’t know why, but in that moment I knew I needed to talk to him. Eventually. 

I patiently sat through the mandatory information sessions, waiting for this mystery man in the corner to reveal himself when finally, after eternity, he got up and walked to the center of the room to give his presentation. I have to be honest when I say I don’t remember much about his workshop, which makes it seem unmemorable (which isn’t true!), but be reminded dear reader that I was incredibly jet-lagged and still trying to fully comprehend my new life in a foreign country. You could have had Garth Brooks up there singing and still wouldn’t remember much of it.

What I *do* remember though is the way he talked. Low and soft, with a lisp. That lisp was about the cutest thing I’d ever heard in my entire life and I hung on every word. I remember the way he pushed his glasses up his nose, his hands on his hips as he talked (like a football coach on the sideline). I remember the passion in his voice and the eagerness with which he spoke. He exuded confidence and energy, but it never came off as cocky or self-absorbed. Here was a man who genuinely loved teaching. I sat in rapt attention.

Then, it was over. 30 minutes seemed to fly by in the span of 5. There was another workshop but all I wanted now was the 10 minute break we were going to get afterward. That was going to be my chance...

Ah, I think it’s very important for me to pause just a moment and tell you, my lovely reader, that what I felt for Jacob upon first seeing him wasn’t exactly love. I left for Japan in a very committed and loving relationship, which I was already preparing to return home to in a year’s time. What I felt for Jacob was more of a...pull? As if a string was running out of the center of my chest and straight over to Jacob’s. I wanted to find out what that string meant...

So I did. During that 10 minute break, I went over to the head table to ‘‘casually chat with Leah’‘ and I also just-so-happened to introduce myself to Jacob who also just-so-happened to be nearby. I found out there was a dinner for everyone afterward and so I made a mental note to try and seat myself somewhere in his vicinity. So imagine my surprise (and secret delight) when he sat himself down right across from me later that evening at the restaurant. Dinner was filled with amazing food and drinks, laughter and good conversation. For the first time in 5 days I felt...normal. Jacob kept me in stitches as he ribbed my gullible new roommate and friend while I tried not to seem too eager to ask him questions about himself as I wanted to come off as cool and unassuming. (Which I really don’t think I managed to do but let’s pretend I did for the sake of my ego.) At one point during the meal, Jacob bet he could keep me in Japan more than a year. I scoffed and wished him good luck. I was out of there the moment my contract was finished. He calmly told me he had 8 months to change my mind and I secretly began to wonder if he would... With dinner finished and paid for, talks of heading to a karaoke bar began. A small part of me wanted to go, but the larger part of me was exhausted and knew I had to give my speech to the head of the Board of Education in the morning, so I politely declined amidst protests and peer pressure. I bid everyone goodnight and thought that would be the last time I would ever really see or interact with Jacob having NO idea what the future held.

Looking back I do wish I had ended up going. But maybe if I had things wouldn’t have happened the way they did...

I’ll fast forward a couple of weeks now to (you guessed it) another conference. This one was solely for us new AET’s to receive advice, support and criticism on the self-introductions we would be doing in another week or so once classes started again. Again, it was a lackluster day full of information and meeting like activities which didn’t do much in the way of making my eventual first class any less scary. I saw Jacob throughout the day and we talked during the breaks. We had lunch with another AET at a curry restaurant not far from the conference building and made plans with a handful of other AET’s (both new and seasoned) that night after closing remarks. I was already looking forward to it.

We ended up a hot wing place in the heart of downtown touristy Kyoto. Having had a few pregame drinks at the 7-11 across the street while we waited for our table meant that I was feeling free and uninhibited. So naturally I plunked myself down next to Jacob in a booth only meant for 4 people, 6 maximum, but was now housing almost 10. It was cozy in a way that only being surrounded by good people and being slightly tipsy can be. More drinks were ordered and I reveled in the ‘‘loud foreigner’‘ stereotype as we laughed and talked trash on the conference we had just come from when suddenly I felt a hand on my arm and a mouth close to my ear.

‘‘Do you ever do the small things for people and then wish they would do the same for you?’‘

Everything stopped. I whirled my head to the left and came face to face with searching brown eyes, inquisitive and imploring. No one, ever, in my entire life and asked me that before. It was a secret desire I had never divulged to anyone and yet here was this guy I had only known for a few weeks who had seemingly plucked it out of the ether. I sat there slack-jawed. How does one even reply to a statement like that aside from the one word answer of “Yes.”?

The rest of the night was a blur. After wings we all went to a karaoke bar next door. (It against my better judgement seeing as how it was a Thursday night and I had my first day of work the next morning and it turns out I had every reason to be worried.) Eventually it got to the point where myself and Julianne (the other Tango Prefectural AET) HAD to go. We were cutting it close already catching the last train in a city we didn’t know so Jacob walked us out, hailed a cab and gave us money for the fare to the station. I protested saying we would be fine but he insisted and I felt as if I needed to let him win this one. Julianne and I managed to make it out of the city but got stranded about a 30 minute drive from home at 11:30 PM at a small outdoor station with no attendant. With only one working phone between the both of us, and literally NO idea where we were, Julianne and I were up sh*t creek without a paddle. But guess who was frantically working with another AET on the other end trying to call a taxi company to get us home? Jacob.  It was the first (but not the last) time he would help me. (Clearly we made it back and lived to tell the tale. Humorously now...)

For the sake of the length of this entry, I’m going to condense the next few months into a paragraph or two. After that ill fated train station debacle, Jacob and I didn’t really talk much in the first couple of months I lived in Japan. I was too busy trying not to quit every single day and also work on a relationship that clearly wasn’t going anywhere. I would message him from time to time or see that he had text to check in on me. It was nice to know he was there, even if it was sporadically at first. August and September came and went. Then October hit me like a sack of bricks and after a series of personal life issues I was worse off mentally and emotionally than when I first arrived in Japan. It was at this point when Jacob and I started talking more frequently. At first it was the typical “getting to know you” type questions. Where’d you grow up? What’s your favorite food? Are a cat or a dog person? The usual. As time went on we began to delve deeper into who we were as people and it turns out we were a lot more alike than we cared to admit. That’s not to say we don’t have our differences though. (He likes pit bulls and mastiffs while I’m more of a teeny, tiny, snuggly cat person...) The similarities kept piling up and October finished in the blink of an eye. Suddenly I was staring down the barrel of November and the upcoming Skills Conference at the end of the month. At this point we were talking every single day and I found myself looking forward to our daily messages. It was about a week before the Skills Conference that it hit me...I was in love with him. 

The anticipation that had been building at the thought of seeing Jacob again was much more than one friend getting excited to see the other. It was something much deeper. And so, on the morning of November 30th, I boarded the train bound for Kyoto City and hoped my feelings weren’t one sided. (I had a sneaking suspicion they weren’t.) Not many people know this but Jacob and I share the same birthday. Yep. We were both born on November 30th exactly 8 years (and some hours) apart. It’s a strange little quirk not many couples can claim which I think is pretty dang cool. We had agreed that neither one of us was going to get the other a gift so of course I had to break the “no gifts” rule straight away. I arrived at the conference hall clutching the bag of cookies I had made the night before and sheepishly looking around the crowded auditorium for a head of curly hair. I noticed one of my other friends first and immediately went over to her. We began chatting and a few minutes into the conversation I noticed him. He was wearing a purple shirt and grey wool coat and he looked so cute. I frantically motioned him over and before I could even present the cookies he says “I got you something for your birthday.” while pulling out a fun sized candy bar from his pocket with the most satisfied and self-assured grin on his face. “I got you something too.” I replied, handing over the bag. “They’re homemade cookies.” The look on his face was priceless. I’ve never seen someone so crestfallen at receiving a birthday present before. 

Rachel: 1 Jacob: 0 

Now, before this particular conference, Jacob and I had made a bet. I bet him that he couldn’t go 24 hours without being mean to me. Up to that point, Jacob was notorious for making fun of anything and everything he could about me. From my overalls to my use of a weighted blanket. He didn’t care who was around or listening. He liked picking on me. So, the bet went like this: If he could be nice to be the entire day and won, he got a prize of his choosing. However, if he *couldn’t* be nice to me all day and I won, I got a prize of my choosing. This is important to the story because it will come into play later on in the narrative. 

Although I didn’t see Jacob much that day during actual conference hours, every time I *did* see him he would compliment some part of my outfit or personality. It was weird because I was so used to him being mean that it felt...unnatural. I was impressed by his determination to win. And he actually did really well. He even ran back across the street to pick up the scarf I had dropped on the way back from our lunch break. I was beginning to become genuinely worried I was going to lose...UNTIL we were taking the train to the city after the conference. I don’t remember what the exact comment was, I just know I was drunkenly talking about my ex when Jacob let loose a rather nasty aside that caused our mutual friend to drop his jaw and utter a rather surprised “Damn...” I could by the look on Jacob’s face he couldn’t believe he’d said it either. The regret and guilt were plainly written right across it. I had won.

Rachel: 2 Jacob: 0

The rest of the evening went by in a haze. There’s so much information I want to share with you, but this post is already bordering on needing a sequel so I’ll skip to the next good bit which is my trip down to Kyoto City in December. After the conference, Jacob and I began to seriously plan a visit for me down to the city. I had already made plans to spend the New Year’s holiday in Nara with my Japanese grandparents but I had days prior to that with nothing to do. So, I decided to cash in on my bet winnings. And what was that, you may be wondering? I told Jacob he had to take me to dinner before we went to see Wreck It Ralph 2. That’s right. I made him take me on a date. Which I happen to think is quite clever if I do say so myself. I’ll never forget how nervous I was to see him for the first time after our birthday. Whenever Jacob and I had been around each other before, there was always someone with us. This was the first time we would hanging out by ourselves and I wasn’t quite sure what to do...

I really needn’t have worried so much because it was the best week and a half of my life. We ended up watching Wreck It Ralph all in Japanese and I (in an impressive moment of bravery) made the first move when I snuggled in close halfway through the movie. My New Year’s Eve plans in Nara ended up being canceled due to an unfortunate death in the family, so Jacob and I made a spontaneous trip to Kobe where were went ice skating, walked down by the port and rang in 2019 by visiting our first shrine of the New Year. It felt as if I was living in a dream and I never wanted it to wake up from it.

But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The end of the winter holiday was quickly approaching so I suggested Jacob come up to Tango for a few days before we both had to go back to our respective schools. He had never been to that area of Kyoto before so he quickly agreed and a day later we were on a train heading North. The first night we spent in Tango together I got a little too big for my britches and had more whiskey than I should have. After falling asleep while peeing, I apparently made an impassioned speech about wanting to have “little potato people” with him and staunchly decreed that we were going to get married. Jacob gently spoon fed me water and agreed. And that’s when I knew.

For you see, dear reader, in my experience, love tends to sneak in. It hardly ever kicks down the front door, but rather shimmies up the drain pipe and slides open a second story window before slowly lowering itself, soundlessly, into your domicile. I was 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, head over heels in love. But this love, was a different kind of love than any I had experienced before. It was a comforting love. An effortless love. A natural, make you feel good from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, kind of love. And it was all mine. 

Those who are closest to me will vouch for the fact that I NEVER wanted to get married or have children. The mere thought of marriage was an idea that gave me a queasy feeling in my tummy. (Don’t ask me what the thought of children did...) Yes, I had talked of marriage before with various long term and serious boyfriends in the past...but that was only because it seemed like the next logical step in the relationship. It wasn’t necessarily something I wanted so much as an unspoken agreement that it’s what came after you checked off a number of other boxes. That’s just how these things work. So of course when I slowly started to tell my nearest and dearest that I had met the man I was going to marry and we were, in fact, going to get married their responses ranged from genuine delight and happiness to downright disbelief and incredulity. My parents were obviously against it as they had never met Jacob before and had really only heard me seriously talking about him for about 2 months at that point. Their answer to Jacob’s question for approval was a firm and resounding ‘’NO.’’

I love my parents, and while we have our differences, I value their opinions and advice. But that’s exactly what it is. Opinions and advice. Jacob and I talked everything over after his conversation with my parents and decided that getting married was the best thing for US. We didn’t want to wait to make other people feel comfortable because it wasn’t about them. It never was. So, we decided to elope. Getting married in Japan was fairly easy all things considered. There was some paperwork involved which required a trip to the Consulate for some notarial services, a few witnesses who didn’t mind putting their information down on paper and on March 22nd, 2019 we screamed into the Minami-ku City Hall parking lot 10 minutes before they closed. Why the 22nd you ask? Well, in all honesty it was the only day both of us were off from work. The City Hall isn’t open on the weekends or holidays and if we didn’t go on the 22nd we had no idea how long we would have to wait. Neither one of us wanted to take the chance so we agreed the 22nd was best. The entire affair lasted about 25 minutes (thanks to the two kindly Japanese City Hall workers who stayed past closing time to help us fill out a form we forgot (and might have been more excited for us than we were)) and cost us roughly 300 yen for the marriage license.

And suddenly, I was Mrs. Griswold.

Was it the wedding of my dreams? Well, I’m not really sure because I never planned out a wedding for myself before. The furthest I ever got was putting a few photos of dresses I liked in a folder on my desktop marked ‘‘Maybe One Day’‘. Somehow though, the way Jacob and I did it was perfect and now I can’t imagine anything different. (He was in a suit for work and I wore my overalls. Fitting, right?) I was never one for fancy dresses or big events. Heck, we didn’t even have rings picked out but that didn’t matter to me because the most important thing was getting to spend the rest of my life with Jacob as his wife. Everything else was just...extra. 

I am so lucky to married to the most kind, genuine, caring, gentle, sweet, intelligent, passionate, funny and witty man. We have so many things in common but are still our own individuals. I married my best friend and my confidant. Everyday is a new adventure to journey off into with him. He’s my sidekick and I’m his. Four months of marriage have passed in blissful happiness. The hardest thing about our relationship at the moment is the distance between us, but even that is minuscule compared to strength of the love that we have. I could go on and on in great detail about Jacob, but the only way to truly know someone is to meet them. Our biggest goal right now is getting back to the States in order for both of us to meet one another’s respective families and friends. It’s a bit backwards, meeting after the fact, but neither Jacob nor I have ever really done things ‘’by the book’’. We hope to return for Christmas.  In the meantime, I am going to go ahead and wrap this post up. Enjoy some photos of us and feel free to ask questions about anything that seems unclear or that you might want additional information on. I’m an open book!

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)

The only way we could fit the entire fountain in the picture...

Yakiniku date with the most handsome man in the world. (Who never judges how many grilled meats I eat...)

Jacob was known at his former school as a very strong drinker...

Be still my heart. <3 

Enjoying the gardens of Okayama Castle.

A candid from a Ritsumeikan school trip that I love and is currently my LINE chat background. 

Y’ALL. His mother WILLINGLY gave me this photo and I’ve never been the same since. The shirt. The hair. The tiny patch of chin fuzz!! ‘Lil high school senior behbeh Jacob.

The poor guy’s curly hair fell victim to the humidity in Okayama...but that peach shaved ice certainly helped him forget all about it.

[nashvilletonihon]

Trial By Fire

So I had to update this intro a little bit considering I started writing this post like, 2 weeks ago...It’s the end of desk-warming season here and I’m patting out the butt shaped imprint I have worn into my chair over the last month and am finally getting back in the classroom. (At Kumihama anyway.) For those of you unfamiliar with the Japanese educational system, the brand new school year just started and we welcomed those bright eyed and bushy tailed 一年生 ichinensei (first year students) as they make their high school debut. 

It seems only appropriate then that I just recently finished a whirlwind week long side gig playing tour guide to my mom and sister as they came to visit Japan for the first time ever. Being able to show them around my town, introduce them to my co-workers, friends and the people who have been so influential while working on creating a new life, sharing the history, my favorite foods and secret spots was so incredibly gratifying in the most selfish way. That being said, there is an added level of stress and anxiety to hosting friends and family while living and working in a foreign country. Especially one that doesn’t speak English as it’s first language. Unlike if I was living in the U.K., Ireland, Canada or some other English speaking country, I couldn’t leave my mom and sister alone anywhere. I couldn’t tell them to meet Jacob and I at a certain train station, restaurant or temple for fear of them getting lost and not being able to find them for hours. I couldn’t hand them a menu to let them choose what food to eat or suggest they casually peruse a shop or convenience store because they would have no idea what anything was. (Heck, I don’t know what everything is.) Having to be ‘’on’’ all the time is completely exhausting and honestly, by day number 3 I was about ready to choke my little sister out as I screamed ‘’JUST FIGURE IT OUT LIKE I DO’’ over and over again.

One thing I’ve noticed the most about being a foreigner in Japan is that, like most adult experiences I’ve had, it’s all trial by fire. Of course people will go out of their way to help you, don’t get me wrong. The myths about Japanese politeness are all true, but they’re also just as likely to sit back and watch you struggle. It’s all about balance I guess... Just when you think you’re getting the hang of things (and maybe a little too big for your britches) Japan laughs and knocks you back down again. A prime example would have to be what I now and will forever refer to as, The Parking Incident. As I mentioned, my mom and sister were in the country a few weeks ago, so here’s a very brief look at our schedule: (trust me, it’s pertinent to the story...)

Sunday - They arrive!! Monday - Drive on up to Tango (Where I live.) Tuesday - Tango Wednesday - Drive on down to Kyoto City/Uji (Where Jacob lives.) Thursday - Kyoto City Friday - Nara Saturday - Osaka

The reason our schedule is important to the next bit of my story is because while we booked my mom and sister a hotel room in Kyoto City, Jacob and I stayed at our apartment in Uji. (Don’t worry, I still live in Tango. It’s my future ‘’new’’ apartment.) In a moment of immense clarity and ‘’good thinking’’ on my part, I decided to leave my car at the pay-per-day parking lot next to Ogura Station in Uji, which is about an 8 minute walk from our apartment. Since Jacob and I would be taking the train to and from the city, my car could just chill there for the 4 days I wouldn’t need it. At ￥600 a day (or roughly $5.37 USD) it was a gosh darn STEAL. Now let’s fast forward to Sunday after my mom and sister left. Jacob and I are going to Costco because, PIZZA, (and other stuff too I guess). We’re laughing and having a great time despite the rain that’s starting to fall when I ask Jacob to tell me which number spot I had parked in. His first response if 6. I punch in the number and the machine says I owe ￥600. I tell him that can’t be right because I’ve been there for longer than a day. He then proceeds to tell me it was actually 5. So I press 5 and I swear to the gods above, if I had been drinking something when I saw the price I would have done a spit take. ￥13,400 ($119.97 USD). I shake my head and stutter ‘’That...that can’t be right. Are you sure it’s 5???’’ trying not to let the immense amount of panic I am now feeling rise up and take control. Jacob checked again and it was, indeed, number 5. I did the quick mental math and, while I’m no genius, I should only owe ￥2400. ￥600 a day X 4 days = ￥2400. I certainly shouldn’t owe as much as the tiny green machine was telling me I did. So Jacob and I decide to divide and conquer. We check every sign and piece of paper once, twice, three times in search of ANY kind of information that could be in red to highlight it’s more important than the rest. When none are to be found, we both agree it’s a good idea to call the help number and neither one of us are surprised when no one on the other end speaks English. In the worst and most rudimentary broken Japanese Jacob tries to explain the situation while also asking if there is anything that can be done. We have no idea why it’s so much and are begging to understand. After 20 minutes of this, the man on the other end of the line just keeps repeating one phrase which we later figure out loosely translates to ‘’Your loss.’’  Not satisfied with that answer, I decide to call my friend, and Prefectural Advisor, Leah. She’s parked in these types of lots before so I knew she would be familiar with them. After explaining the situation, I send her a photo of the largest sign at the front of the lot. 30 second later she informs me that in small writing underneath the daily fee it states ‘’If here for more than 48 hours, the charge will be ￥600 every 20 minutes.’’ I’m not exaggerating when I say that I literally dry heaved. For a little over 2 days my car had been charged almost $6 every 20 minutes until it reached a whopping $120. Tears spring to my eyes as I hang up the phone and tell Jacob the news. I’m going to have to pay all of it to get my car out... 

The best part about all of this is that the machine only takes ￥1,000 or roughly 10 dollar bills and coins. Neither Jacob nor I have that much money on us in the bills needed. Gritting my teeth I march toward the nearest convenience store to use their ATM while Jacob walks to his bank across the street. As I furiously punch buttons on the ATM, I silently curse Japan. I curse the language that I cannot speak, the words I cannot read, the culture I cannot understand. I curse  myself for thinking I had it all figured out without a moment’s hesitation at the thought that maybe ￥600 a day was a little too good to be true. I mean, where in America do you find that type of price without some kind of catch??? I snatch the money from the machine and stalk back outside, down the street and back to the parking meter. A few moments later Jacob is next to me helping feed bills into the slot. With about ￥8,000 left we run out of ￥1,000 bills. I’m so mad I almost punch the machine. At this point it’s raining and I’m honestly wondering if things can get any worse. Jacob tells me it’s going to be ok and runs off to get more ￥1,000 notes. I stand there fuming and jamming what little amount of coins I have in my wallet into the meter until Jacob come back, sweaty and out of breath, with more money clutched in one hand and a 鯛焼き taiyaki (a fish shaped pastry with any number of fillings inside (but mine was chocolate)) held in the other. He smiles and hands me the 鯛焼き before putting the final 1,000 yens into the machine. (There are many reasons why I love that man but the fact that even in the face of what seems like an impossible situation, he still thinks to bring me a sweet treat is definitely near the top.)

We get into the car and quietly share the 鯛焼き while I try not to pout on the way to COSTCO. Having to pay that much money was absolutely awful no question, but the worst part about the entire ordeal was not being able to explain the situation to the help desk worker over the phone. It was the immense feeling of utter helplessness that frustrated me the most. And it’s not just this one isolated situation either. That feeling of helplessness is ever present and all consuming. The things I took for granted while living in America, such as being able to schedule my own appointments, go to have my tires and oil changed, mail a gosh dern letter, are all MONUMENTAL accomplishments over here. Jacob and I talk about this all the time. It’s the one thing we wish people would understand more when it comes to asking about our lives over here. EVERYTHING. IS. SO. FREAKING. DIFFICULT. No, we can’t just ‘‘call the help number and speak to someone about our issue’‘. No we can’t just ‘‘walk into a health clinic and request to be seen.’‘ Hell, we can’t even check the labels on the dang food at the grocery store because it’s much more than just a simple task. It’s mentally preparing yourself to translate, reorder the words and be able to communicate your problem or question correctly. It’s hoping and praying the person you’re speaking to doesn’t use complicated words or phrases you are’t used to hearing that often. (Spoiler alert: They ALWAYS do.) It’s trying your best to meet them halfway and falling embarrassingly short every. single. time. It’s terrifying and frustrating and upsetting. You feel like a child who can’t do the most basic of tasks for themselves and it’s humiliating. You truly have to put your pride aside and swallow that bitterest of pills in order to just...survive. 

I’ll step down off my soapbox now and say that I guess the biggest thing I’d want someone reading this post to take away from it, is this: Be kind to those people who are not from your home country. Be kind to the immigrants and the visitors who are there either trying to make a living or just simply enjoying themselves but who may not be able to speak your country’s mother tongue. They’re doing the best they can. Be patient. Be helpful. Be courteous. As a woman living and working in a country not her own, the smallest of kindnesses can make a world of difference. Japan may be one trial by fire after the next, but I refuse to crack under the pressure. 

 がんばっります。(I will do my best.)

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)

Oh hey!! Just like at the end of a Marvel movie, here’s a post credits scene consisting of photos showcasing my mom and sister’s time in Japan!!

On their way into 東大寺 Todaiji Temple in 奈良 Nara the deer city.

Elizabeth greatly enjoyed the 鹿 shika (deer). This photo was taken not long after one bit her in the butt because she wasn’t feeding it cookies fast enough. 

My American and Japanese family met for the first time. It was magical. Please ignore Japanese Christoph Waltz in the left hand side of this photo.

One of my favorite places in 奈良 Nara, 春日大社 Kasuga-taisha (the stone lantern temple) is full of beautiful bronze and stone lanterns surrounded by lush, green foliage. 

If you can’t tell by my enormous grin, I was beyond excited to have these gorgeous people all together in the same place.  

[nashvilletonihon]

Let’s Talk About Culture Shock

Ok. I know what you’re thinking... “Rachel! It’s so good to have you back! I’ve missed you!” I know friend, I know. I say “life happens” a lot which is just as much of an excuse to make myself feel better for not updating as often as I should as it is legitimate reason for my lack of posts. (Especially because the last post I wrote I promised to write more...HA HA! Whoops!!)

That being said, remember when I first arrived in Japan and all of my posts were doom and gloom get me the f*ck outta here? Yeah, me too. Well, that was child’s play compared to the week I had. For the first time since I moved I experience very real and very genuine culture shock.

Now, you might be asking yourself what the difference between the culture shock I experienced a few months ago was and the culture shock I experienced this week is. I’m sooooo glad you asked.

Upon moving to a foreign country, the first several months are obviously very difficult. Especially if that country does not speak your native language. EVERYTHING is new and exciting and terrifying. You spend all of your time figuring out which markets to buy groceries at (and if you’re like me it’s three different ones), where to get your hair cut, how much time it takes to get to certain places, where the best restaurants are, if you should try new food based on the packaging photos alone...basically you’re just trying to survive. It’s a challenge but not necessarily a negative thing. Perhaps a slight inconvenience at most.

Fast forward to now. I’ve been here for 7 months and my life has fallen into a routine. I know when to wake up and how much time it will take me to get to each school, I know how much it costs to fill up my gas tank and where I can buy specialty foreign items like tortilla chips and popcorn. Things have gotten a bit more simple but by no means easy. Life is still a challenge but I don’t lose my mind every time I have to go to the grocery store now.

That was until this week...  

It all started Monday morning when I woke up not really feeling like myself. I  tend to dread the beginning of the school week because it means that I have to go to my base school (which I don’t exactly enjoy) and pretend to work for 8 hours instead of actually being in the classroom like I am at my visit school on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. This Monday was no different. I decided to begin the day by asking my supervisor (who 100% does NOT want to be my supervisor) to contact the Board of Education to let them know I have been excused from attending a last minute seminar as my friends are in the country. After I very calmly and simply explained this information, he proceeded to print out a schedule for said seminar, hand it to me with a curt ‘’there you go’’ and proceeded to go about his business. Mouth agape I’m shocked I didn’t blurt out ‘’you didn’t understand a word I just said did you??’’ even though I was screaming it in my head. Shocked beyond comprehension I turned to my computer and with an amazing amount of grace, decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. The rest of day went the same as every Monday usually goes. I’m used to being underutilized at my base school and while desk warming isn’t exactly what I would like to do, I normally don’t mind because it means I get to study Japanese, work on lessons for my visit school, surf the internet, etc...I keep my head down and try to blend into the desk chair. However, after I left school on this particular Monday I found myself hung up on the feeling of being mistreated and ignored. I tried to shake it but was unsuccessful as I took it with me to my visit school the next day.

Tuesday was まま ma ma (so-so). I had a few classes, one of which I taught solo, and I worked on decorations for my English Board. Although nothing monumental happened, I didn’t have my usual 元気 genki (energetic) attitude as I tried my best to hype the students up for the activities while also keeping them from tearing the school down. The day, as a whole, was pretty uneventful, kendo and karate practice included. (Even if I was a little less enthusiastic for them than I normally am.) I went to sleep that night with a heavy feeling in my chest and a nonchalant, indifferent attitude in my mind I now know is the beginning of an anxiety filled depression spiral. (Wheeeeee....)

I arrived at my base school on Wednesday morning buzzing with anxious energy feeling like I’m not even in my own body but instead floating just outside of it. I decided to try and put that energy to good use by updating the English Board which still had Christmas decorations on it. (January was filled with good intentions y’all...) I’m freaking elbows deep in switching everything out with pieces of tape on all my fingers when one of my JTE’s comes up to me and timidly says ‘‘Will you be joining the class today?’‘ In her defense I am technically supposed to attend her class. In my defense, I am literally used as a human tape recorder, spitting out a few vocabulary words and watching the students lose their mind when I pronounce Worcestershire sauce. My time would have been better spent changing the English Board...but I went to class and quietly stood by the stove instead.

Once class was finished, I knocked out the English Board and went to study at my desk. It is at this point that another JTE asks me if I had ‘’done my homework’’. Eyes glazing over I blankly stared back at him asked ‘’what homework?’’ ‘’The list of books you are supposed to write down for me to help improve my English.’’ he says. At this point I begin to very vaguely remember the conversation we had in regards to this topic. I believe I mentioned that I would make said list whenever I had the time...but I digress. I quickly assured him I would make the list and leave it for him under his computer for his perusal tomorrow when I am at my visit school. That fire put out I begin to work on studying kanji when I become acutely aware of how hard my supervisor is typing. He’s putting in grades and every time he smashes the ENTER button it sounds like he’s trying to push it through the entire keyboard. I do my best to ignore it when he finished and moves on to grading exams. As he circles each right answer I swear he’s doing his best to leave a circle shaped engraving on the desktop. It’s incredibly (and unnecessarily) aggressive. When lunch arrived I swear he slurped his miso soup louder and more annoying than usual. Granted, I’ve noticed all of these things before but today they were amplified. Every sound, every action made me grit my teeth in frustration. By the middle of the day I was crawling out of my skin anxious. I was in the throes of major cultural shock meltdown. It was at this moment that I remembered I should probably e-mail my Prefectural Supervisor to follow up on whether or not the supervisor at my base school had indeed contacted the BOE like I asked him to. Lo and behold as I was finishing my e-mail, one from my PA pops up in my inbox. I open it to discover that she’s letting me know that said base school supervisor has NOT contacted them regarding my excused absence from the seminar. Balling my hands into fists I try not to slam them on the desk in the worst fit of work rage I’ve had in a long time.  

Instead, I begin messaging Jacob stream of consciousness thoughts:��  

“I want to go home. Home home. Back to America home. I want my mom. I want to sleep in my own bed. I want to drive my own car. I want to drive on the right side of the road in my own car. I want to see people who look like me. I want to see people who don’t look like me but who aren’t Japanese. I want BBQ. I want a disgusting fast food burger. I want AMERICAN food. I never want to eat another Japanese meal again. I never want to see rice or sushi or freaking noodles EVER again. I don’t want to hear Japanese. I don’t want to speak Japanese. I want to hear English. I want to speak English. I want to go to the grocery store and know where and what everything is because I can READ it. I want to go to the movie theatre and see a movie. IN. ENGLISH. I’m tired. I’m over it. I’m done. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do this anymore.”  

The entire time I’m going through this I’m doing my best not to lose my cool while sitting at my desk in the teacher’s room. It’s becoming increasingly more and more difficult. The teacher’s room is LOUD. Everyone is talking and laughing, calling to one another from across the room. To stop from screaming I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I draw blood. I’ve been messaging Jacob throughout the day and he’s aware of my current mental state. He’s doing the best he can while also working but I need air. I need quiet. I need to be alone. I grab my coat and race out the door.

I make the short walk to the コンビニ konbini (convenience store) across from my school where I buy a soda and some chocolate. I walk along the street toward the beach taking long swigs from my drink and angry munching my candy. I want nothing more than to be anywhere but here. I deep lungfuls of the crisp winter air. It’s chilly but the sun is out and the sky is clear. I lucked out weather wise. I do my best to clear my head and when I feel like I’ve been gone long enough to arouse suspicion, I head back to school. (Spoiler alert: No one noticed I was gone.) I’m not sure how but I manage to make it through the next 3 1/2 hours until it’s time for me to go home. I have to stop myself from sprinting out the door. As I walk to my car my friend, and fellow AET Natasha, messages to let me know that my request to attend Ichiba Elementary School on March 6th for their mini English Day has been denied because “I have classes”. (I will later find out that it’s Entrance Exams day and I more than likely don’t have to be at school period, much less in classes.) I get in my car and slam the door.

Jacob calls me on my way home as he walks to his bus stop. I sob like a baby. It’s the first time I’ve cried since October and it feels...good. I think I’d been bottling it up inside for a while now and having a gut wrenching, body shaking sob was soul cleansing. It wasn’t so much that I was sad, I was just so incredibly angry and frustrated that the only thing I could do was cry. I raged. I cussed. I shook my fists...and Jacob listened. Because he knew. The thing about culture shock is that it never truly goes away. It’s constantly there. But some days you’re better at ignoring it than you are others. And some days, heck, some weeks it all comes crashing down on you at once. Culture shock comes in waves. There are still��days I want to pack up and go home. I miss my family and friends dearly. I miss the comforts of home and the things I’m used to. That being said, I’m beginning to create new comforts, make new memories. Mainly in part because of this guy:

A quick photo while celebrating 節分 setsubun (Spring/Bean Throwing Festival) at 吉田神社 Yoshida Shrine. SO. MUCH. GOOD. FESTIVAL. FOOD.

For those of you who creep my Instagram, you’ll have seen his handsome face a time or two before by now. For those of you who don’t, here he is. That mustachioed gentleman has pretty much been with me since Day 1. I met Jacob at the Kyoto Orientation Conference I attended 5 days after arriving in Japan. We became fast friends and as our friendship developed, so did deeper feelings. (He had them a lot earlier on than I did...for obvious reasons.) It wasn’t until our birthday (yes, we share the same birthday) that I realized “Oh sh*t. I think I’m in love with this guy.” Fast forward to four weeks later when I went down to visit him over the winter holiday and that little thought I had on our birthday had grown and solidified into a very concrete and very real feeling. I was head over heels 100% smitten. So before this post becomes another “doom and gloom” entry, I want you to know that not everything here in Japan has been bad. Not everything here in Japan has been terrible. Not everything here in Japan has been awful. (Contrary to the vast majority of my previous posts, I know.) Japan introduced me to the love of my life and showed me that a future here is possible...more than possible...a definite. 

Yes, culture shock is sneaky and culture shock is rude. It creeps up on you when you least expect it and turns the things you enjoyed into the things you resent. However, with the right mindset, the right friends and the right support system you can kick culture shock in the teeth and go about your regularly scheduled program. I’m fortunate enough to have the best kind of support system in the man I love who listens (to me rant), helps (me calm down) and advises (me not to take violent action) as need be. Seriously though, call me the luckiest gal in the world. 

I have so many more things to share concerning Jacob, our relationship and our future plans, but that is going to require a post all on its own. In the meantime, enjoy this photo of us being cute (and me with different bangs) while you wait.

Probably my favorite photo of us to date, here we are on 比叡山 Mt. Hiei after exploring 延暦寺 Enryakuji Temple with  琵琶湖 Lake Biwa and 滋賀県 Shiga Prefecture in the background. 

Japan be tryin’ real hard to knock a sistah down, but I’m holding strong and always moving forward. Now, hand in hand with the one I love.

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

To Stay Or Not To Stay...That Is The Million Dollar Question.

I’m currently sitting at my desk in the Kumihama teacher’s room. It’s Finals Week here so everyone is buzzing around and it sounds like a busy hive of bees. The students already look broken, defeated, tired. It’s been a long couple of weeks for me so I can only imagine what it’s been like for them.

I’m honestly not sure where October and November went. I remember being glad that September was over the minute it became October 1st and then suddenly I was celebrating Halloween with my ESS Club students and then it was November 1st. Now it’s 1 day away from my birthday (which I haven’t even thought about) and then it will be December 1st. 

What. Is. Happening??? 

When I first arrived here I thought time had literally stopped. I was stuck in an endless loop of being unhappy, lonely and sad I was drowning in my own misery. Fast forward to now. November 29th. In two short months I will have to give the JET Program and my contracting schools an answer to the question of whether or not I would like to re-contract. If I say yes, my schools will then have to decide whether or not they want to extend my contract for another year. If they do, I’d be working for them again during another trip around the sun. If they don’t...well, the decision to stay or go will have been made for me.

I’ve talked to my mom and a few close friends about my decision to potentially live in Japan for another year or to move back to the States. My mother encouraged me to make a Pros and Cons list. (Something I’ve always done when faced with major, life-changing decisions.) It’s currently taped to the back of my bedroom door and at the moment, both sides are neck and neck. Neither the Pros nor the Cons have advanced past the other. Hurray for me right? How does a list like that help when they’re dead even?! 

I think about what my life would be like in both scenarios. If I stay for another year I can continue to work toward my (absolutely insane) goal of eventually taking the JLPT N2. It’s an incredibly difficult test for non-native speakers that requires A LOT of work to pass. One of my friends and fellow JET’s is getting ready to take it this Sunday. She studied Japanese for four years in college AND studied abroad here and even she’s worried passing it. I wonder if I could accomplish my goal in another year and a half. If I worked my a** off, I bet I could. I at least want to take and pass the N3. (Which I’m pretty sure I can do.) That being said, if I pass the N2 I could get a job as a translator or interpreter which is something I would really enjoy doing. I could translate anime or manga or work for the government or tourism board in cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Seattle, etc... Living in Japan for another year would allow me to continue to be exposed to native speakers and Japanese every single day. The minute I move back to America I no longer have that luxury. Even though I’ve only been here for 4 months my comprehension and understanding has grown exponentially. I would be jeopardizing all of the hard work I’ve put in up ‘til now. 

A major Con of continuing to live in Japan is being away from my family and friends for another year. I video chat with my momma every single day and it always pains me to have to talk to her through a phone screen. I miss being able to hop in my car and drive the 2 1/2 hours to Indiana to see her whenever I wanted. Now we constantly have to coordinate when we both have free time to talk. Being 15 hours ahead of her in the States (thaaaaanks Daylight Savings) makes things difficult, but we manage. I miss her hugs. I also struggle a lot with the fact that I am losing out on valuable time with my grandparents. I know they won’t be around forever and the guilt associated with being over here while they continue grow older is more than I can put into words. I know my family is proud of me for following my dreams but that doesn’t make being over here any easier.

Another Con (or Pro depending on how you look at it) is that I have ZERO job prospects moving back to America. Absolutely nothing. In theory I could pick up over hire work in theatre at TPAC, Nash Rep, Studio Tenn or advertise myself as a costume designer (a position I have long had a love/hate relationship with) but to be completely honest, none of that sounds very appealing right now. I’m tired of living paycheck to paycheck and constantly being worried about if I’ll be able to afford rent (we all know how ridiculous it is to live in Nashville now) or make my car payment. Yeah, yeah I know. ‘’That’s what being involved in the arts is all about! You have to suffer for it!’’ Whoever thought that was a good excuse for people to live a stressful, poor lifestyle just so they can follow their passion can shove it. It’s ridiculous we even have to do that in the first place. Yes, I want to act. Yes, it’s my everything. Yes, it’s what I am good at. But I don’t want to constantly have to struggle when I could work toward a job that I can make good money doing while ALSO acting. Is that me selling out to have a secure day job and moonlight as an actor? Maybe. I’ll be 29 on Friday. If I stay another year in Japan I’ll turn 30 here. It’s hard to believe I’m so close to being out of my twenties already. While I feel the proverbial clock ticking when it comes to the stereotypical “old actress” trope, I have to remind myself that most well-known actors didn’t even get started until their mid-30′s. I’ve got time. And being bilingual will look really cool on my resumé.

So what’s another Pro about continuing to live in Japan? Saving more money, yo. Being here for another year means more savings in the bank. It’s a pretty simple concept that would allow me to not freak out about finances when I finally move back to the States. As someone who had an incredible amount of financial stability when I lived in Los Angeles to being left with nothing after I moved to Nashville, financial stability is now incredibly important to me. (I can hear my father slow clapping from 11,000 miles away.) I’m not one for caring about money (never have been) but if I could keep adding to the savings account while also working toward a career that would help me in the long run, I’ll take that option time and time again.

Another Pro I often think about is how many more people can come to visit Japan while I’m here. My Mom, sister (Elizabeth) and friends Taylor and Erica are all coming out to visit me in the months of February and March. If I’m here for another year, even MORE people can come on out to see what this crazy magical country is all about. I think that’s pretty dang cool and am 100% encouraging everyone I know to start looking at flights now. I mean, you’ve got a personal tour guide AND a place to stay!!! What more could you need/want?! 

All in all I have quite a few Pros and Cons on the list. Some of the Cons are dependent on whether or not I can somehow change them into Pros. One example would be the immense distaste I have for my base school. I am there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Out of those three days I might be fortunate enough to attend (not teach, mind you) 2 classes, possibly 3. Classes are 50 minutes each if we don’t have a special shortened schedule. So out of 3, 8 hour work days, I am maybe seeing the inside of a classroom for less than 3 hours each week. Compare that to my visit school where I am there on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have 3 or 4 and sometimes 5 classes a day. I am waaaaay happier at my visit school. I found out that I can talk to my scheduling supervisors to potentially get my schedule switched so that my visit school becomes my base school and my base school becomes my visit school. This would drastically improve my outlook on the situation as a whole. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the other teachers at my base school (even though I don’t really talk to many of them and vice versa) and they’re all incredibly nice people. I just seem to click better with the teachers at my visit school.

Throughout all of the anxiety, worrying, stressing out and continual ‘’Should I or shouldn’t I’s’’, I have to keep telling myself that ultimately, it’s my decision and mine alone. Will it affect the people close to me? Oh, without a doubt. I know my family will hate to have me away for another year. I run the risk of being forgotten in the Nashville theatre and losing another year of shows. I already feel like my career was just beginning to take off and the desire to follow through with that is one of the strongest pulls back home yet. And then again...I have this intense desire to learn Japanese. REALLY learn it. I want to communicate with my friends, co-workers and the people who have helped to make the adjustment to life in Japan a little bit easier. I want to help Americans visit Japan and not be scared to do so because of the language barrier. Trust me when I say that the the people here are more scared to use English than you are to use Japanese.

I have a lot to think about over the next 2 months, but if I’m being completely honest (and I try to be on here), I am about 90% sure I will stay for another year. I don’t think my work in Japan is done yet. I think I can help more students, engage more cultural exchanges, help the current JTE’s teach their classes more efficiently and help infuse fun ways of learning into the mundane textbook lessons. I want to start a pen-pal exchange with the girls in my English Speaking Society Club with students from my aunt’s high school in Indiana. There is so much I want to do...and 8 more months just isn’t enough time to do it all.

Before I end this, it’s important to me that I thank the countless people, both family members and friends, who have listened to my doubts, fears, concerns and indecision about all of this over the past month. Your unwavering support and constant encouragement mean so much to me. I honestly wouldn’t still be here without your love and kindness. I am truly, truly grateful to have each and every one of you in my life, both here and abroad. Y’all the real MVP’s. 

I’m sorry there aren’t any photos in this post. I’m heading to Kyoto City tomorrow for a Skills Conference and will be there all weekend. I’m going sightseeing and Christmas shopping and will be taking lots of photos so I will have plenty to write about come next week. On that note I will wrap this up and say goodbye for now. I keep telling myself I’ll be better at updating and posting and I swear I will start now. Thanks for always being patient with me!!

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

Love, Loss and Loneliness Living Abroad

Living abroad has presented it’s own set of challenges far beyond what I ever imagined when I applied for the JET Program way back in November of 2017. Almost a a full year ago now... Looking back I had no idea how much being accepted would change my life for the better...and for the much, much worse. 

This week has certainly tested the limits of my resolve far more than the first month did. 

I have so many different emotions that are all fighting for my attention right now. Pain. Desperation. Loss. Anxiety. Confusion. Shock. But the biggest and the loudest is anger. Anger is standing on a makeshift soapbox comprised of my pride, ignorance and stubbornness. Anger is shouting at the other emotions to shut up and sit down. Anger deserves to be center stage because it is the most powerful and dominant emotion....and it’s right. The anger blooms inside of me from deep within my chest like a white hot poker. I feel it’s warmth slowly start to spread... The first place it arrives is my mouth. Anger takes control of my tongue and tells me to spew hateful and hurtful insults, rumors and stories. To scream and curse the name of the one who hurt me so deeply and so thoughtlessly. Anger puts its hands over my eyes, tinting my vision red and blinding me to anything else that isn’t wrong or full of negativity. It forces out hot, ugly tears that burn and stain my face as I look at the one who hurt me so deeply and so thoughtlessly. Anger grabs my wrists and forces my hands into fists. It tells me to start swinging. To destroy and damage the keepsakes, the photographs and the memories I made with the one who hurt me so deeply and so thoughtlessly. Anger puts itself in my shoes and whispers one simple word... “Run.” Move my feet, pump your legs and run back to the one who hurt me so deeply and so thoughtlessly. Demand a better explanation. Demand a better lie. 

I think a few years ago I would have taken anger in like a long lost friend. I would have gladly embraced it, welcomed it, succumbed to it. Now though, in this moment, I gently take anger by the hand, sit it down amongst all of the other emotions and quietly say “You’ve had your turn. It’s time for someone else to take center stage.” Who’s turn it actually is now has yet to be decided. My bet is on apathy. Or depression. 

Maybe it’s the distance. Being 11,000 miles away from the people and things you love makes it really easy to feel a certain sense of detachment about them when the unthinkable happens...  

Maybe it’s the fact that I literally feel so helpless and at a loss as to what I can do that I can’t actually do anything but feel an odd sense of calmness about it all. 

Maybe it’s me just being too tired because it seems I can’t win for losing. I had just gotten my sea legs here in Japan. I was happy, enjoying myself and the experiences I was having and the things I was learning. Life looked at my accomplishments and laughed. In the span of a week I lost my boyfriend and my cat. One of them left willingly, the other one was taken from me. I’m right back to where I was when I first arrived here; crying myself to sleep at night and longing for home so badly it’s a constant and ever present full body ache.

Or maybe I’m just getting older and wiser. (Nah.)

It’s hard not to wonder about the “what if’s” as I lie in bed awake at night staring at the ceiling. “What if I had never applied for this program?” “What if I had tried harder to keep my relationship from falling apart?” “What if I hadn’t accepted and moved here?” “What if I had protested a little bit more?” “What if I had brought Cinder with me?” “What if I wasn’t such a pathetic person...?”

“What if...” “What if...” “What if...”     

Those thoughts won’t go away. I know this. So instead of letting them eat me alive I answer them... “If you had never applied for the program you would always wonder “what if.”” “If you had tried harder to keep your relationship from falling apart you would have given more than you already had (which was everything) and eventually it would have fallen apart anyway. You can’t force someone to love you.” “If you hadn’t been accepted and moved to Japan you’d still be living in Nashville and if you would be wondering what life was like over here. You would have missed out on learning kendo, karate, proper tea ceremony etiquette and making new friends. You would have missed out the memories you’re still making.” “If you had brought Cinder with you, there’s a very good chance he would have snuck out of your apartment and gotten lost in the Japanese countryside. And that’s after he would have gotten all fat being in quarantine.” 

“You’re not a pathetic person.”

Life is hard. Life is complicated. Life is unfair. Sometimes life is all three at once. My current situation is only exacerbated by the immense distance and crippling loneliness I feel from being so far away from home. I can’t tell you how many times this week I’ve longed for a hug so bad that even strangers began to look like appealing bear hug candidates. The loneliness factor here is REAL. I’m surrounded by people every single day. People who laugh and joke and have a good time but I’m not a part of it. I want to be. I try to be. 99.9% of the time my intense social anxiety at the fear of saying something wrong/stupid gets the better of me and I end up sitting at my desk. Quiet. Afraid. Alone. 

At the bottom of the well, it’s dark. It’s lonely and it’s scary. But the only way to go is up. I’ve crawled out of this well before and I am on my way to doing so again. Life is hard. (It’s worth working for.) Life is complicated. (It would be boring if it was easy.) Life is unfair. (It keeps us grounded.) 

I’ve been through a lot this week and it’s been incredibly tough to handle. Love is not all you need. Loss is forever a part of life no matter how far away you are. Loneliness can come in the most crowded places. I’m mourning the things I’ll never get to enjoy again with a certain person and a certain cat. The smells, feels and moments that I will hold dear and cherish for the rest of my life. I will gently pack them away in their respective boxes and tenderly place them on the shelf with the rest of my memories. There they will remain to potentially be taken out from time to time to lovingly reminisce...or remain on the shelf gathering dust only to fade away completely. 

In the meantime, I am so grateful for the time I had with Blue and Cinder. I’m forever thankful for the moments we shared and the memories we made. I love you both and always will. I’ll be alright. I always am. 

I love this photo. This is how I will always remember you Cinder. Snuggly, sweet and perfect right down to your little thunder shirt. Thank you for rescuing me way back in 2016.

- レイチエル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

A Day In The Life (Or, 2 Three Day Weekends And A Wedding)

I’m currently sitting on my couch/bed in the living listening to the wind and the rain outside. It’s Typhoon #24 for Japan, for those of you who are keeping track at home and it’s been raining for 2 days straight now. I’ve received about 6 Emergency Alerts on my phone and have pooped my pants each time they’ve come through. Of course they’re all in Japanese so I’m hoping they’re aren’t too important....

I know it’s been awhile since my last post. To be honest, I haven’t felt much like writing lately and sometimes the thought of opening up my computer after a long day at school makes me want to die. (I spend the vast majority of my time on the computer at my desk studying the language and trying to keep up with the news at home.) 

So! What’s new? Well, I’ve slowly been falling into a routine here. I know that sounds kind of boring, and believe me, I’m never one for routine but this is different. On Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s I go to Amino, my base school. Monday evenings I study Japanese Communication with the Yoshida’s. They are the most generous and kind Japanese couple I have met here in Kyotango. They would literally give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. On Wednesday’s I have ESS (English Speaking Society) Club. I meet with a small group of girls who are interested in learning English. We mostly just make crafts and play games while they try to speak as much English as possible. (Spoiler alert: It’s not much, but they try.) I think I will also start going to Tea Ceremony classes on Wednesdays as well. Friday’s after school I meet with two Japanese women for English Communication night. Noriko and Masami are two *very* enthusiastic ladies who come over to my house Friday evenings to chat in English. They bring snacks and drinks and we sit around talking about the differences between the Japanese and English languages, cultural aspects of the two countries and anything else that naturally comes up. It’s actually quite fun and I genuinely look forward to their visits. On Tuesday’s and Thursday’s I’m at Kumihama, my visit school. I absolutely LOVE this school and the students have manhandled their way into my heart. Tuesday evenings I don my work out attire and go to kendo practice from 5-6:30. (Side note: Kendo is literally one of the HARDEST things I have ever tried. I constantly want to quit but I’m too stubborn to give up now.) After that I head to karate practice from 7:30-8:30. (Side note #2: The last time (and also the first time) I was there I was the oldest person NOT a 先生 sensei above the age of 8.) And then I go home and face plant into bed. Thursday’s I go to kendo again before heading to the Yoshida’s for a homemade dinner full of traditional Japanese food. 90% of which comes from their garden. Again, the nicest people. And on the weekends? On the weekends, I sleep. I go running. I read. I relax. I meet up with my good friends Kate and her husband Jess (remember them?) and we’ll go to the 温泉 onsen (Japanese bathhouse/hot spring) for some much needed veg out time. This weekly routine is making the constant feeling of homesickness a little more bearable. It’s helping me survive. 

Don’t get me wrong, 田舎 inaka (the countryside) life is still pretty boring. The shops close at 7 and there isn’t much in the way of night life. So I’ve been trying to get to the city once a month to help alleviate the feeling of being so isolated and cut off from the rest of the “civilized” world. Two weeks ago I took a little trip down to Osaka for my three day weekend. While at Tokyo Orientation I met a kid named Lucas who was from Vancouver, Canada. We casually struck up a conversation while waiting in the mile long line for food and soon discovered our mutual love of baseball. Before going our separate ways on our final day in Tokyo, we made a pact to see a baseball game together. To be honest, I didn’t think I would ever hear from him again. I met SO. MANY. PEOPLE. while at that orientation and made all sorts of promises to visit various cities around the country that I can’t even remember them all. Lo and behold, Lucas reached out to me a few weeks later and we hatched a plan to make this crazy dream of seeing a Japanese baseball game a reality. Fast forward to a week before my Osaka trip. Late one evening I get a call from one of the JTE’s at Amino. It’s Oda先生 and he informs me that Nakagawa先生, a JTE from Taiza, my branch school (who I have only been to once since arriving in Kyotango) has invited me to her wedding reception in a week’s time on the Saturday I am scheduled to leave for Osaka. After giving Lucas a head’s up (and much guilt tripping from Oda先生) I agree to go. That entire event will have to be it’s own post because if I tried to write about it here this one would quickly turn into a novel. (Yes, it was THAT amazing.) 

So, let’s pretend I’ve told you all about the wedding and now I’m in Osaka. Lucas met me at the train station and after a hilariously long phone conversation where we tried to find each other in one of the biggest and busiest stations in the country, we were off. I haven’t been to Osaka in over 3 years but as we made our way down Dotonburi Street, it all came rushing back. Osaka was the very first city in Japan that I experienced as a tourist all those moons ago. Walking down those familiar, crowded streets was like visiting an old friend who happily welcomed me back with open arms. We bought street food, 焼鳥 yakitori (grilled chicken on skewers) and explored the various shops and tourist traps Dotonburi has to offer. I introduced Lucas to the amazing shoes that are Onitsuka Tigers and we both had to talk one another out of buying a pair that were waaaaaaay too expensive. (Soon my lovelies...soon.) We stumbled upon the first restaurant I ever ate at in Japan and enjoyed one of my absolute favorite foods. (See below.) 

お好み焼きokonomiyaki (That wonderful and delicious pancake like delicacy I’ve talked about so many times before.)

I honestly could have stayed out all night I was so excited and full of adrenaline from being in the city, but we had a jam packed day on Sunday and I’d been up since 5 AM so we reluctantly headed back to Lucas’ place in Ikeda where I fell asleep before my head even hit the pillow with a huge smile on my face.

Dotonburi night life in photos...

Two different dragons at two different restaurants on the same street...

Two different octopi on two different restaurants on the same street... Dotonburi is famous for their タコ焼き takoyaki (octopus dumplings) shops and they are sooooooo dang good.

People. People everywhere...

Gotta recreate that famous Glico man pose or you’re not doing Dotonburi right. (Also, that’s Lucas in the second photo for those of you who maybe didn’t figure it out on your own.)

I still have no idea what this was, but it was delicious.

Ok. So I really contemplated on whether or not I should put this photo up. Yes, I know there is a curse word on his vest. And yes, I know it’s one of the worst curse words there is. HOWEVER, this is a really important cultural teaching moment. 9 times out of 10 Japanese people have NO IDEA what and English word says, much less means. They just know it’s English and that means it’s cool. There’s a reason Engrish is so good and oftentimes hilarious. But the same can be said of Americans and any kind of Chinese/Japanese/Thai writing on clothing or even tattoos. Unless you do your research or have a native speaker check it, there’s a really good chance you could end up with the Asian version of this dude’s vest on your bicep. (Mom, if you’re reading this, please don’t be mad at me.)

GAME DAY

After sleeping in from a night out and about, Lucas and I packed a bag, bought some snacks for the game and caught the train. We were on our way! With every stop that brought us closer to the stadium, we began to see more and more black and yellow clad people with “HANSHIN TIGERS” emblazoned across their chests and backs. We were obviously headed in the right direction. The moment we stepped off the train, it was chaos. There were so many people everywhere it was a bit overwhelming and the energy in the air was palpable. Swept up in the tide, we held on and enjoyed the ride. 

One of the only photos I managed to take outside the stadium because I was way too caught up in trying to look at everything all at once.

Like every good baseball fan, Lucas and I stopped in the Team Store before finding our seats and bought an inappropriate amount of Tigers gear and souvenirs. I immediately put on my jersey and couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot. (And I didn’t stop until I went to sleep that night either.) Laden with goodies we made our way into the stadium. It. Was. AMAZING. The noise was tremendous and there was an electricity that prickled across my skin and made me feel like I was outside of my own body. It was unlike any experience I’ve ever had before. Each player had their own cheer and the fans knew them all by heart. I picked up what I could and screamed the few words I managed to learn right alongside the diehards. I watched the hype men (and women!) direct the fans on which cheer to yell and when to start and stop them. (Because everything in Japan is orchestrated. Even baseball.) I bought Japanese soda and chowed down on カツカリ katsukari (pork cutlet curry) (yes, you read that right...I had curry at a baseball game) and celebrated like a lifelong fan whenever the Tigers got on base or caught a fly ball. I watched as every Tigers fan released a weird sperm shaped balloon during the “7th inning stretch” and, thanks to two Australian tourists a few rows behind us who graciously gave us two balloons with a “You didn’t come prepared!”, got to release one of my own.  

Above mentioned oddly shaped balloon...

I had the time of my freaking life. Unfortunately the Tigers ended up losing to the Tokyo Giants 1 - 2 but even a loss couldn’t harsh my buzz. I was on Cloud 9. After the game we met up with Jacob, another one of my JET friends who works at a high school in Kyoto City and had dinner together. I laughed way more than my abs could handle and quickly regretted ever introducing those two as they quickly ganged up on me and formed a fast friendship. I’m forever in trouble now whenever we all hang out again in the future. Calling it an early night, Lucas and I bid Jacob farewell at the train station and headed to Ikeda talking about the game the entire way back. I went to bed that night, exhausted but with a full tummy and a happy heart. 

Monday morning came bright and early. Even though I wanted to spend another full day in Osaka, I knew I needed to head back to my little 田舎 to get my affairs in order for the school week that lay ahead. Lucas and I said our goodbyes at Osaka Station with promises of more city visits for me and maybe even a country visit or two for him when the weather gets nicer again. I plopped down in my seat on the train and sighed. Moving to Japan has been so difficult in so many different ways. Most of which I couldn’t even have imagined. But it’s people like Lucas, Kate and Jess, the Yoshida’s and Jacob who have made the transition just a little bit easier. I spent the entire 3 hour train ride reflecting on the friendships I’ve made since moving here and how each of them has impacted my life in a different way. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my friends from back home and I certainly won’t be where I am tomorrow without the ones I’ve made here. I had a wonderful time in the city and I can’t wait to go back, but I’ve never been more glad to see the endless rice fields of Kyotango than I was on Monday afternoon. I was home.

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

There’s No Race, There’s Only A Runner. Just Keep One Foot In Front Of The Other...

Hey guys. It’s been a few days (ok, maybe a little bit more than that) since I last posted anything. To be honest, I don’t have much to tell. I’ve been at my high schools for two weeks now and have actually taught less than a handful of times. This upcoming week is the Cultural Festival, so both Amino and Kumihama have been focused on preparing for that. This means there are shortened classes and varied schedules depending on rehearsal times. Cultural Festival is a school wide event that requires the students to all participate in various activities. At Amino, the First Years are required to perform in a play. The second years are required to sing and the Third Years are required to dance. There are also food stalls, games and activities that the teachers can buy tickets to. (I have one for a Japanese tea booth I plan on visiting on Wednesday.) At Kumihama, all of the students chose to perform in different plays depending on their homerooms. There is a general atmosphere of excitement and anticipation filling the hallways and classrooms at both schools and I am 100% ready to see all of the students hard work and effort come to fruition. We just have to hope against hope the typhoon doesn’t ruin everything.

This past month has been one of the most difficult of my life. I’ve been very open and honest about my struggles regarding moving to and living in Japan. This week was especially hard because I was not feeling well, school and classes did NOT go how I had imagined them and I was incredibly emotional and homesick. (For those of you following the saga that is my sleep schedule, I wish I could inform you that it’s getting better....but it’s not.) I thought maybe a run would combat the stress and anxiety I that I was feeling, so Wednesday night I did just that. In 90 degree weather and at least 1,000% humidity I put on my running clothes, laced up the new sneakers I bought (because I FINALLY found a pair in my size) and just...ran. I didn’t have a set destination. All I knew was that I needed to run away from my emotions. (Spoiler alert: They caught up with me later.) As I was aimlessly running, I stumbled upon a park a short distance from my apartment. Curious, I decided to take a little detour to see what it had to offer. Turns out there were a few tennis courts, a small lake, a really, really nice baseball field and some nature trails heading up a “mountain” toward one side the stadium. 

Feeling adventurous, I decided to explore one of the trails. I quickly realized how out of shape I am as I began to climb the almost vertical stairs. Huffing and puffing I hauled myself up this mountainside. With each step I took I became more and more emotional. I kept thinking about how classes that day had been a total bust. The students sat there. Stone faced. Silent. They just stared at me like I had grown a second head as I attempted to introduce myself. The more I tried to make it exciting, engaging and fun, the more they refused to participate. You want to talk about feeling judged? Stand in front of a classroom full of 30 high schoolers who want nothing to do with you and what you have to say. 

(It ain’t fun.)

Wheezing and panting, my mind filled with failures of the day, I finally reached the top of the mountain. Exhausted, stressed, anxious and downright fed up, I sat down next to a small, run down temple and cried. 

“What am I doing here? Why did I leave the great life I had in America for this? The students don’t care. I can’t understand anyone. I’m alone and I miss my family. I miss Preston so much. Does he miss me like I miss him? I miss going to movies with him. Feeling his arms around me in bear a hug. God, what I wouldn’t do for a hug. From anyone. I could still be working at a really great job right now back in the States and having the time of my life with my friends. Instead, I’m here. I don’t want to be here anymore. I feel like such a failure. This is too hard and I honestly don’t know if I have anything left to give. It’s only been a month but it feels like a lifetime. I want off this roller coaster. Please. I just want to go home.”

I cried until I thought I couldn’t cry anymore. (I did the next day while on the phone with my mom.) I sat there next to that temple with snot, sweat and tears running down my face and felt so, hopeless. To have so many things beyond my control is new for me and I hate it. I knew this was going to be hard but I had no idea it was going to be THIS hard. I know by now that I must sound like a broken record when it comes to this. “Yes Rachel, we get it. It’s hard but god bless, pull up your big girl panties and DO something about it.” Or maybe that’s just what I would tell myself from the outside looking in. And I promise you all that I am. I’m studying Japanese like it’s a dying language, saying yes to every offer that involves hanging out, grabbing food or exploring, getting involved in after school activities like Kendo and attempting to stay as busy as possible to keep my mind off of the crippling doubt and anxiety ridden thoughts I’m having.

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. 

That being said, I’m a firm believer that the universe gives you exactly what you need precisely when you need it. Enter Kate and Jess on a rainy Thursday evening. A few days earlier, Leah (my predecessor) had reached out and informed me that last year an older Japanese couple, Kumi and Masani Yoshida, had invited some of the JETs over to their house for a weekly dinner. The wife used to be a JTE at Amino (my base school) and apparently their bread is famous among the Kyotango AET’s who have had the pleasure of attending one of these gatherings. 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to go. I had just finished bawling on the phone to my mom when I got the message that they were outside my apartment. I quickly splashed some cold water on my face, slipped my sneakers on and walked outside. No make-up. Messy hair. Sweaty and sick looking. “Sorry I look like death warmed over.” I mumbled. “Not at all. You look great.” Kate replied with a smile. (Already being much nicer than I deserved.) “Would you like to follow us so that you know how to get there the next time?” Not feeling particularly social, I quickly agreed and got in my car. 20 minutes later we had arrived at an adorable Japanese home with two of the kindest people waiting for us inside. (I dare someone to find an unkind person in Japan.) 

Dinner was entirely vegetarian, comprised of dishes like noodles, rice and vegetables all grown in and harvested from their personal garden. AND THE BREAD. (I would 100% die for that bread.) The Yoshida’s didn’t even seem to mind that I was mostly speaking in English, too tired to try to work out what I wanted to say in Japanese. Kate and Jess have been in Japan for five years now and did most of the translating for me and the Yoshida’s in return. I was maybe a little more candid than I should have been upon first meeting them about how lonely and miserable I was. (Keeping in mind that I had my incredibly gracious hosts sitting right next to me.) I told them mostly everything. How isolating the countryside is, especially when you’re a Prefectural JET because you don’t get the luxury of meeting all the Municipal AET’s at the Board of Education almost every week. I talked to them about how sad and homesick I was and how I didn’t know if I had it in me to last an entire year. They both listened with patience and responded with kindness. Kate told me about how she went through the same feelings and emotions when she arrived. Her situation was a little different from mine because she wasn’t a JET at that point and had no job to work at or school to attend. “I was home for 10 hours a day, by myself. It was awful.” she confided in me. “But don’t worry. We’ll make sure you’re not alone anymore.” I almost started crying at the dinner table. 

As the meal began to wind down, we made plans to return again the next week. This time Kumi invited us to come earlier than 6:45 so that Kate and I could help her cook dinner if we wanted. It’s a fantastic opportunity to expand my Japanese recipe book and authentic dish making skills, so of course I adamantly agreed. Laden with leftovers and some brand new towels (the Japanese love giving gifts) I slipped on my outside shoes as Kate informed me that Kumi is well versed in the art of tying and wearing 着物 kimono and that there is a festival dedicated to kimono is October. I was immediately invited and have plans to attend with Kate and Kumi if our schedules allow. Kate and Jess also made plans to pick me up the next morning to show me around Kyotango, take me to the grocery store so that they could help me with any questions I might have regarding labels and food items and to basically let me know that living in the countryside isn’t a death sentence. (However much it might feel like one at times.)

So this morning, we did all of that. It may have been raining but that didn’t dampen our spirits as we bought locally grown veggies and homemade bread at a cute café down the street from where I live, drove along the coastline for some of the most gorgeous views I’ve ever seen and a place that I definitely plan on taking my family and Preston when they come to visit next year. We grabbed a delicious lunch of ramen at the mall where I do some of my grocery shopping and capped off the afternoon with a trip to this tucker away liquor store next to the train station where I can find all of my favorite American whiskeys and spirits for half the price. Places I never would have known about if Kate and Jess hadn’t taken time out of their Saturday to drive around and show me. I am forever indebted to them and their kindness. We already have plans to go hiking once the weather cools down for good and to go to the 温泉 onsen (Japanese bath/hot spring) for some girl relaxation time when school gets to be too much. I laughed and smiled more today than I have all week. Most importantly though, I didn’t feel judged for the way I’ve been feeling. Here they are five years later with no plans to leave and a potential house in the works. Life’s funny, ain’t it?

I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I have no idea what the next 11 months will bring. (Except maybe tears. And most certainly memories.) What I do know is that I am slowly surrounding myself with a group of wonderful, kind, caring, gentle, patient and genuine human beings who make each unknown day a little bit easier to manage. It makes me excited to introduce my family and boyfriend to them. To show my loved ones the people who have become so dear and so close to me. My network of support and a safety net when walking the tightrope gets to be a tad too scary. 

I’m one fortunate gal, I tell you what. I haven’t given up just yet, and I’ll keep puttin’ one foot in front of the other.

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

奈良 Nara. (Or, How I Found My Home Away From Home In The Deer City Pt. 2 of 2.)

Day 2. I’m up at 7:30 AM enjoying a light breakfast of toast, deli meat, salad, a hard boiled egg and black coffee. (There was some slight miscommunication regarding the egg and my beverage...) Since the temple 伊澤さん wants to take me to doesn’t open until 10, we’ve got some time to kill. 

I’m thinking we might walk around his neighborhood or drive through the city. See the sights on our way to the Houryuji Temple. Nah. After clearing the breakfast table, 伊澤さん motions for me to follow him upstairs. Obediently, I do. I see a few bedrooms and what looks like a workspace, but it’s what is behind the door at the end of the hall that 伊澤さん opens as if it contains the most precious treasure. (I would soon find out that it actually did. To 伊澤さん anyway.) Upon first glance at the room, it wasn’t too out of the ordinary. Photos of country music stars hung on the wall, some with 伊澤さん in there with them. Bolo ties, Tennessee stickers, post cards, concert and festival posters decorated every square inch of space on those wood paneled walls. Even a pair of longhorn horns were mounted above the big screen TV. (Further admiration, brought forth the story of how they had made the trip all the way from Texas on one of his visits there. Despite the San Francisco TSA giving him hell for it.) I felt a sort of...reverence, for this space. Clearly this place was incredibly important to 伊澤さん. As I continued to look around the room, he proudly told me that this was his sanctuary. The space he could retreat to when he wanted to listen to his music or escape the outside world. (He even admitted to smoking in there occasionally.) 

I was so entranced by the photos and trinkets that I didn’t even notice the giant floor to ceiling cabinets toward the back until 伊澤さん gently cleared his throat and asked me to come closer. Opening the door of the closest cabinet, I saw shelf after shelf of CD’s. Every single slot was completely filled. And he had FOUR of these. Not including the smaller ones near the door!!! He ran his hand lovingly up and down the cases and I as I looked closer I saw something that made my little organized heart go pitter patter. THEY WERE ALL ALPHABETIZED. This man had 100′s of country western and bluegrass CD’s. Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, George Jones, Patsy Cline...you name it, 伊澤さん had it. I 100% had to pick my jaw up off the floor. With a grin that spread from ear to ear, he pulled open the other door and told me to pick one. I looked at a shelf and the first one that caught my eye was Brooks and Dunn. I pulled it out of the slot and handed it to him. “Ah, a very good one.” he said and walked over to the TV. I sat down in the old wooden rocker as “Hard Workin’ Man” began to blast from the speakers. You wanna talk about a freaking culture shock?? Here I was sitting in this man’s very Japanese house in the middle of Nara Prefecture listening to one of my favorite country music duos while also conversing in Japanese about said country music duo. I was shook.

For the next 2 hours we did nothing but switch between country music and bluegrass CD’s. I honestly don’t know how I didn’t have a complete meltdown considering how homesick I was. (I bit the inside of my cheeks really, REALLY hard.) I could have stayed in there all day but 伊澤さん had other plans for us. We listened to one final song and then climbed in the car (which already had a Garth Brooks CD in the player) and headed toward 法隆寺 Houryoji Temple. Here’s the thing about sight seeing with a local, they know all the best places and can give you a TON of information you won’t ever find in a pamphlet. As we walked around the temple, 伊澤さん told me about the giant wooden pillars lining the front and how they were all solid pieces of wood. He even knew what region they came from. He was the absolute best tour guide a silly 外人 gaijin (foreigner) could ask for. 

Oh look, another super sweaty photo of me. (I was literally melting.)

After Houryuji, we hit 薬師寺 Yakushiji Temple. My brain was absolutely overloaded with the amount of information I was getting from 伊澤さん but I was having the time of my life. This was a side of Japan I hadn’t seen. 

One of the two pagoda’s at  薬師寺 Yakushiji Temple. The second one is currently under construction for renovations. 

Another view of said pagoda. 

薬師寺 Yakushiji Temple in all its glory.

After temple hopping was done, we headed back to the house for lunch. While we were out and about yesterday, 伊澤さんhad bought a very specific package of noodles at the grocery store. This specific type of noodle is called 素麺 somen (thin, white Japanese wheat noodle) and is normally eaten cold in the summer months to beat the heat. I’m not normally one for cold noodles but I would have eaten them by the pound if meant beating the heat. Let me tell you what, they were DELICIOUS. 伊澤さん even showed me how to properly prepare them and I ended up making my friend and fellow JET Julianne and myself a 素麺 feast that weekend. (See below photo.)

Full of wonderful food (again) 伊澤さん and I ventured back upstairs to his country western shrine. This time he began to tell me about his friend Shoji Tabuchi who moved to America many, many years ago to play the fiddle. Well guess what? Shoji got his own show down in Branson, Missouri and it’s the #1 tourist attraction there. Homeboy even has his own theater!!! (I REALLY want to post photos of the theater but A.) They’re all watermarked and B.) This post would quickly become 95 pages long.) Do yourself a favor though and google his name. I highly recommend you visit his website too! https://www.shoji.com/. I was incredibly curious to know more about this guy when 伊澤さん whips out a DVD that has the entire show on it. I eagerly asked him if I could watch it and pretty soon I was entranced by one of the most ridiculous and insane shows I’ve ever seen. (In the BEST way possible.) Not only is Tabuchiさん incredibly talented, but he spares no expense when it comes to decorations, costumes, sets, lighting and special effects. Again, I urge you all to check him out on YouTube. 

Time flies when you’re having fun and before I knew what had happened, it was time for dinner. Earlier in the day 伊澤さん had found out that I absolutely LOVE お好み焼き okinomiyaki (A stupid good cabbage based “pancake” with plenty of mix-ins and topped with mayo and a Worcestershire like sauce.) The particular one 伊澤さん and I enjoyed had octopus, squid and beef in it. Oh to have one of my favorite Japanese foods after 3 years was absolute heaven. Also, look how adorable 伊澤さん is!!!!

Dinner was full of fantastic conversation and plenty of laughs. We discussed the cultural differences of America and Japan. I taught 伊澤さん that throwing up the middle finger was a bad gesture in America and that folding down your middle and ring finger but keeping your pointer, pinky and thumb out was the universal sign for “I love you.” Both of which he taught 予告さん immediately upon our return home. You guys, I’m best friends with the Japanese Arthur Weasley. I went to bed that night with a hug grin on my face and love in my heart. 

Day 3. I’m totally exhausted at this point in the trip so I took the small luxury of sleeping in until 8. We didn’t have much to do today considering I was leaving right after lunch to make sure I got back home at a decent hour. (Remember what a freakin’ trek it is???) After breakfast 伊澤さん and his wife turned my bedroom (which was always the “exercise” room) into a mobile calligraphy classroom. Have I mentioned that 予告さん is one of like, the top calligraphers in Japan? She’s one of the few people to hold the highest certification in the art and she was kind enough to let me crash her lesson that morning. For two hours I worked on the hiragana for dog.  いぬ inu. Two letters. That’s it!!! I tried and I tried and I tried to get the strokes down just the way 予告さん did them. She was so elegant and made it look like it was the easiest thing in the world...it was not. Looks like Japanese calligraphy might not be my thing.

Bless her. 

I’m really trying to be a good student here...

After calligraphy class it was time for one final lunch and then I was in the car with my new family and on my way to the train station. 伊澤さん was kind enough to ride with me all the way to Kyoto Station where I would board the しんかんせん home. Along the way he kindly asked me to not get anymore tattoos as I was a young lady who was of marriageable age. (That’s not exactly what he said but I got the jist.) I vowed to never get another tattoo (a promise I will 100% be breaking when I move back to America next year) and informed him that my boyfriend, Preston, didn’t have any. He seemed to be pleased by that little tidbit so I won’t feel too terribly bad when I break my promise. 

It seems the train ride to Kyoto Station went by twice as fast this time around. I felt like I had just arrived and was reuniting with a dear friend only moments ago...but almost 3 days had passed since then. I sat in my seat on the train dazed and exhausted but happy and definitely more than a little bit sad. As I waved to 伊澤さん from the train window, I thought about how nervous I was to even make the journey in the first place. How homesick and lonely I felt to the point where I didn’t even want to leave my apartment, much less travel to see someone I really only knew through e-mails. But then I look at this...

and I am reminded of how blessed I am. How incredibly fortunate to have people in my life who love me for nothing more than the fact that we had a chance encounter at a restaurant a year and a half ago. Who took me in and treated me like family. Who have become my family. How did I get so, so lucky? I’m not sure...but I can tell you one thing, I certainly won’t be taking it for granted.

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

奈良 Nara. (Or, How I Found My Home Away From Home In The Deer City. Pt. 1 of 2.)

17 days have come and gone here since I arrived in Japan. I’ll go ahead and start off by stating the obvious: I’m still incredibly homesick. I have no idea if it will ever subside and become tolerable. Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. In the meantime, I’m trying to keep my anxiety in check. This is MUCH harder being on the opposite side of the globe as my imagination has ample room to run wild. I keep blowing everything out of proportion. Daily tasks such as going to the grocery store or train station causes me to lose my mind. The smallest spark of doubt will blossom into a raging wildfire. I let the tears come. I go for walks. I repeat my mantra over and over and over again... “Take everything in stride. Feel your feels.” 

While this immense anxiety makes it very easy to be a hermit, I can’t let it keep me from doing things while I’m in Japan. I have very limited time here and I need to make the most of it. So, this past week, I did just that. 

For those of you who may not know, when I was a server at Cracker Barrel I waited on an older Japanese couple back in late Spring of 2017. After discerning they were indeed Japanese, I decided to use my incredibly rudimentary and beginner Japanese language skills to introduce myself. (I 100% thought I was hot sh*t.) You would have thought I had found the cure to cancer by the way they reacted. Here they were, in the middle of Nashville, TN and this dorky white girl is introducing herself in their native language. Needless to say, we hit it off and they ended up returning the next morning for breakfast where we exchanged contact information before they left the city. (They ordered blueberry pancakes and regular french toast. Both mornings.)

For the past year and a half we’ve been e-mailing back and forth, sending the occasional package (I sent them a box of CB pancake mix, 伊澤さん’s favorite, & American snacks. They sent me まっちゃ matcha (powdered green tea) among other things.) and keeping up to date on each other’s lives. 伊澤さん Isawa-san has been with me from the very beginning of the JET process and has sent countless e-mails with words of encouragement and excitement. He was overjoyed to find out that I had been accepted and wanted nothing more for me to be placed in 奈良 Nara where he and his wife live. Unfortunately I ended up not being stationed there (as you all know), despite the fact that it was my first requested city. (I think they needed me in Tango just a little bit more than they did in 奈良.)

So, early last week 伊澤さん and I started planning. For anyone wondering what a travel schedule between a man who doesn’t speak much English and a girl who doesn’t speak much Japanese looks like, here’s a little sneaky peaky at one of our e-mails...

(峯山 Mineyama to 京都 Kyoto is about a 3 hour journey by train. 京都 to 奈良 Nara is an additional hour depending on which station you get off at.)

It’s a dang Christmas miracle I managed to arrive on time and in one piece. But arrive on time and in one piece I did. 

Reunited and it feels so good!!! 

Upon rendezvousing at the station, 伊澤さん and I headed to 奈良 excitedly talking and catching up on everything we hadn’t been able to put in our previous e-mails. 

Enjoying a lunch of 側 soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) and 魚 sakana (fish). (And yes, that is a huge sweat mark down my front. Did I mention is was 97 degrees with like, 200% humidity???)

The rest of the day went by in a blur. It feels like we walked around the entirety of 奈良 and then some. We hit up 東大寺 Tōdai-ji Temple which is one of the most colossal and historically significant temples in Japan. (And most famous for the deer that surround it.) It’s main hall houses the largest bronze Buddha statue in the world.  

東大寺 Tōdai-ji Temple. (Check out the people by the doors for scale on just how massive this place is.)

The Great Buddha.

After Tōdai-ji, we walked to 興福寺 Kofukuji Temple and 春日大社 Kasuga, the most celebrated Shinto shrine in Japan famous for its lanterns. 

興福寺 Kofukuji Temple.

春日大社 Kasuga Shrine and it’s famous lanterns. (See below.)

I was hot, sweaty and absolutely starving by the time the sun began to set. Not even the strawberry かき氷 kakigōri (Japanese shaved ice) had done much to stave off the heat and the hunger.

Riding the train to our final destination for the day, 伊澤さん assured me a tempura feast was awaiting me at his home. As we walked down the most adorable street, the smell of battered and fried food wafted through the humid air and I could hardly contain my excitement. (And my trepidation.) It had been over a year since I had seen his wife, 予告さん Yoko-san and I remembered she didn’t speak any English. I hoped against hope that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of her. (Don’t worry, I didn’t.) 

You. Guys. 伊澤さん was totally not lying about the tempura feast. Squid, cuttlefish, shrimp, daikon, yams, potatoes, root veggies, snap peas...anything and everything I could ever want sat before me. 予告さん even poured me a glass of her homemade 梅酒 umeshu (plum wine) after finding out that I enjoyed the drink. They normally only bring it out for holidays and special occasions. (It was also strong AF.)

Here we are enjoying the most incredible food and 予告さん’s 梅酒.

My heart and stomach full, and my body definitely feeling the day long journey we all said our goodnights and retired for the evening so as to be ready for tomorrow’s excursions. 

To Be Continued...

[nashvilletonihon]

How Can A Week Feel Like A Month???

It’s Monday morning here and it’s already hot outside. A stifling, oppressive, humid heat. The kind of heat that saps every last ounce of strength from your body and makes you physically exhausted. I stayed indoors yesterday, barely running my AC because I have no idea how much my electric bill will cost. My only reprieve is the fan circulating hot air around my apartment. In actuality, it’s really not so bad. I’ve dealt with no AC before and while it sucks, it’s not the end of the world. There’s only another month or two of summer and after that I’m sure I’ll be begging for warmer weather again. 

I have officially been in Japan for a week. One. Week. 7 days. That’s it. I feel like I’ve been here for a lifetime already. How have the days gone by so quickly and yet dragged on as if they would never end? This week has been rough. I left Tokyo Orientation on Wednesday and traveled to Kyoto City for, you guessed it, more orientation. Saying goodbye to the friends I had made in Tokyo was incredibly hard but I honestly didn’t have much time to think about it because a 2 1/2 新幹線 shinkansen (bullet train) ride later I was standing in my hotel room in Kyoto City wondering how I even got there in the first place. Thankfully the evening orientation meeting was only an hour long. Once we had changed back into our civilian clothing (I never want to wear another article of business attire ever again) we headed to an 居酒屋 izakaya (Japanese tavern) for dinner. There are 12 new Prefectural AET’s in total. 6 came in Group A and have already been teaching for a few weeks. The 6 of us in Group B arrived this past week and are still trying to wrap our heads around everything. 

Here we all are with 2 current JETs (Jacob & Jonah who are across from me), our Prefectural Advisor Leah and Karino先生, who works with Leah at the Kyoto Board of Education making sure we have all of the information we need to succeed in our new roles as Assistant English Teachers. 

Dinner was wonderful. The food was fantastic and the drinks were flowing. Four 梅酒 umeshu (Japanese plum wine) drinks later and I was actually feeling pretty good about things. For just a moment, I forgot about my stress and anxiety and focused on genuinely enjoying myself. It was...nice. So nice I even considered going out for karaoke afterward but the looming knowledge that I had to give my speech to the Board of Education AND meet my new supervisor/co-workers the next day quickly put an end to that. (Don’t worry, it all went well.)

The next few days sped by faster than the scenery outside of a 新幹線 window. I met 水口先生 (Mizuguchi-sensei), my supervisor who is so incredibly warm and kind hearted. She was there to receive me at my apartment when I rolled up after being in a car for 3 hours, sweaty, smelly, with my make-up melting off and completely exhausted. She showed me around my apartment, helped me to put some things away (they were all in the living room per the cleaning crew), took me to the store to buy some food and personal items and let me follow her around like the lost puppy that I am while I stupidly asked her “What does this mean?”, “Do you like this?”, “What do you use?” She even went back to her house to gather some towels for me to shower with since I didn’t have any. 

AND THIS WAS ALL JUST THURSDAY NIGHT. 

Friday was even worse. 水口先生 picked me precisely at 9 AM to begin a day full of important errands. The first stop was Kyotango City Hall where I had to change my address. 

I should mention that I currently do not have my residency card. Due to a glitch in the matrix there are about 2,000 of us JETs who do not have this incredibly important piece of paper that is vital to setting up a new life in a foreign country. So, you know, there’s that.

Holding our collective breath, 水口先生 and I walked into City Hall hoping against hope that they take the stupid little stamp marked “Residency Card will be issued at a later date.” in my passport as the real thing. With 水口先生 explaining in Japanese and me standing there, passport clutched in my hands and a pleading look on my face, I heard some of the few words in Japanese that I actually know... “大丈夫です.” Daijōbudesu. (It’s ok.) I had to stop myself from sinking to the floor in gratitude. It’s ok. It’s ok.

45 minutes later and I now had a Residency Certificate from City Hall. (Not the be confused with my Residency Card which I still don’t have and still desperately need.) Feeling elated and unstoppable, we headed to the Kyoto Bank to set up an account. An 1 1/2 later, boom, bank account open and bank book in my hand with my card scheduled to arrive in 2 weeks. We even set up automatic withdrawal so I don’t have to worry about taking care of rent and car payments separately. 

After the bank, we stopped for lunch. I think 水口先生 could tell that I was struggling. I had spent the entire morning intently listening to every conversation she had with others to try and pick up on any kind of Japanese I knew. (Spoiler alert, it was ZERO.) She pulled into a quaint little parking lot next to a restaurant called Ma Maison. Upon walking into the establishment I almost started bawling like a baby. It was decorated just like my Grandma Keether’s kitchen. Old school farm equipment, plates, mason jars and herbs hung from the walls and ceiling. Vinyl tablecloths and old wooden chairs decorated the seating area. For a moment, it felt like I was home. 

After lunch, we jetted over to Komori Auto Shop where I picked out a car. (Don’t get too excited guys, just wait until you see a picture of this thing.) 2 hours of discussing insurance, filling out paperwork and setting a date to pick the car up (August 22nd at 8:30 AM) and that was that. I will soon be able to drive in Tango like a regular citizen. Lord help me. And them.

The entire day was going so well. We were on a role. Unfortunately it came to a screeching halt at Y! Mobile, the phone company store where I was hoping to purchase a Japanese SIM card and internet. As of right now I only have internet in my apartment. (THANK GOD FOR THAT.) However, once I step foot outside, I’m on my own. I have no way of looking up directions, getting in contact with people or vice versa. It’s awful. I’ve only been walking around the area that I know, too scared of getting lost to venture any farther. Of all the places I didn’t think my passport stamp wouldn’t work, the cell phone store was not one of them. Who knew they would be so strict when it came to purchasing a phone plan? So now I have to just sit here and wait until my RC comes in the mail. Whenever that is.

Throughout this entire process so far, I’ve been trying to focus on the positives. They are few and far between but I know that it’s only because everything is so new and overwhelming. I’ve started making a list to keep track because if I don’t, the negatives will weasel their way to the forefront. Here are a few of the positives I’ve experienced in the past week:

I remembered the word for vegetables when ordering lunch in the Tokyo train station. (It’s 野菜, yasai, in case you were wondering.)

I have been complemented on how natural my Japanese sounds. (Although I’m pretty sure they’re just being nice.)

I used the self checkout at the grocery store and didn’t mess up or require assistance.

I’ve made a once cluttered and jumbled apartment into my temporary home. (It’s quite nice actually.)

I haven’t cried in 4 days. 

 That last one may seem unimportant, or trivial even, but it’s huge. Especially since I’m on the verge literally every minute of every day. An accurate representation of me would be something along the lines of this...

It’s a process. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. I know that once I get busy with school, (which will be next week after お盆祭り, Bon Festival. https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/obon-festival-2018-in-japan) the time will fly by and I’ll be getting ready to leave for the States again before I know it. I’ve got a mantra I keep repeating: “Take everything in stride. Feel your feels.” I won’t downplay my homesickness or my loneliness. To do that would be to deny myself the very real fact that they are there. Instead, I will make peace with it and remind myself that this isn’t forever. A year will fly by and the memories I make here are going to be worth it. The stories I share with my friends, family and boyfriend back home are mine alone to tell. I can’t let them down. I won’t let them down. 

That being said, I think this post has gone on long enough. I’ll close it out with some photos I’ve taken over the past week. Check out the captions below the pictures for explanations. 

A traditional Japanese breakfast at our Kyoto City hotel. 

Myself, Kelly Bell and Lizzie (UK) at the Tokyo Train Station. (It’s the largest and busiest station in the Japan.)

My all time favorite snack in Japan. おにぎり. Onigiri. (Rice ball.) These delicious little guys can be eaten by themselves, or be filled with any kind of savory treat. My two are ボニと bonito (dried fish skin) and 鰻 unagi (eel).

When people ask me why I won’t be eating fruit in Japan. (These grapes are $8.00!!!)

Thanks for sticking with me through this crazy long post. Hopefully it wasn’t as much of a downer as the last one was. Again, there will be more posts and more positives. Until then...

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

The Harsh Reality (Or, The Honeymoon Phase Is Over Before It Even Started.)

It’s Monday night here in Tokyo. I’m sitting on my hotel bed while Japanese television plays in the background. Something about Hiroshima and the effects of radiation on the human body years after the fact...

I’m exhausted. Jet-lagged. So homesick. And probably a little more dehydrated than I should be considering I’ve done nothing but pound water since I got on the plane Saturday morning. 

But I’m here. 

I’m not going to lie, it’s been overwhelming. I cried all night Friday. All morning Saturday. I cried in the security line. At the gate. I even shed some tears on the plane ride to Dallas. I would 100% be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of throwing in the towel. One girl already has. 

I want to go home. 

Yet, I can’t. I mean, I could, but I can’t. I haven’t even made it out of Orientation. We have an entire day of it tomorrow and while I was on sleep deprived auto pilot all day, I still managed to take notes and follow along. (Especially during the “Maintaining Your Mental Health” seminar.) There’s so much to process that I already feel like I’m behind and it is incredibly disheartening. 

But I can’t quit.  

I have too many people counting on me to see this year to completion. I owe it to my friends, family and boyfriend. I owe it to my Contracting Organization, fellow teachers and the students I haven’t even met yet. I owe it to myself. I know I’m overly emotional right now due to the lack of sleep, heart wrenching homesickness and the fear of the unknown. Despite all of that, I have made new friends. I’ve met fellow JET’s from Scotland, the UK, Canada and all around the States who are just as afraid and excited as I am. I keep reminding them that it’s going to ok. 

It’s only a year. 

A lot can happen in a year. So while I’m absolutely terrified and all I want to do is repack my carryon bags and get on a plane back to Tennessee, I’m not going to. I have a responsibility and I refuse to let my fear get the best of me. I will make the most of this year and my time here in Japan. I will. 

I know this isn’t really the kind of blog post most people would write, especially two days into what’s supposed to be the best time of their lives. However, it’s incredibly important to me that people understand this isn’t easy. It’s been an incredible sacrifice. One with decisions that haven’t come lightly. I promise there will be more positive posts in the near future. I will be traveling to Kyoto on Wednesday and then will arrive at my new home on Thursday. It’s not all bad, it just seems like it right now. 

It will get better. 

In the meantime, here are a few photos from the Nashville Airport and the Seminar Hall at Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo. 

Yes, I know it looks like I’m trying not to throw up and poop my pants at the same time. (It’s because I was trying not to throw up and poop my pants at the same time.)

My life and my heart seeing me off at BNA. 

The banner and country flags in the giant seminar hall at Keio Plaza. There are over 1,000 JETs from around the world staying at the hotel. 

Stay with me friends. I know better days are ahead. 

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

My New Home

12 days. 12日.

It’s less than two weeks now and honestly, I’m still in denial. Even though my apartment is in shambles, it looks like I’m squatting there and almost all of the furniture and things that made it a home are gone...I still can’t come to terms with the fact that 13 days from now I will be boarding a plane, heading off on a new adventure. 

It seems like forever ago when I moved to Nashville. 2 years sure can fly by. What started out as a tumultuous, anxiety ridden, stress inducing move has turned into one of the best life decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve learned a lot more about myself in these past two years, got back into acting and being more involved in theatre, made so many wonderful friends and reconnected with some I thought I’d lost forever. I found a man who does nothing but give me support, unconditional love and genuine kindness. I’ve realized how truly fortunate I am to have had these past two years in Nashville forming a network of friends who have become family. I am forever grateful for each and every single person I have come into contact with while living here. You all have helped to shape who I am and have given me the strength to see this crazy wild dream of moving to Japan through. I owe you so much. 

That being said, I thought it was high time to update you all on exactly where it is I’ll be living and working. I’ve been assigned by the Kyoto Board of Education to teach at Amino High School in Mineyama, Kyōtango. I’m incredibly excited and also nervous to teach high school students. I feel like I just graduated from high school myself (even though it’s been 10 years) and I’m hoping the students will take me seriously. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the region (ha ha ha ha) here is a brief overview of the city and it’s location. The hot pink area on the map is Kyōtango. I’ll be almost as far North in the Prefecture as you can be, in a region known as Kyoto by the Sea. For someone who doesn’t like the beach much, I’ve spent a vast majority of my adult life living next to large bodies of water. *shrug* It’s about a 3 hour train ride from Kyoto City and a 6 hour ride from Tokyo. (That travel day after orientation should be fuuuuuun.) 

This little (and I use that word because it is by Japanese standards) town boasts about 50,000 people. I’ll be renting a car because there isn’t a train station by my school. Mineyama Station can get me TO the major cities I’ll visit but it kind of stops there. It’s a rural area which is exactly what I wanted. You might be asking yourself, “But why would she want to live in a rural area? Wouldn’t she rather live somewhere fun with lots of night life and things to do?”  Well, to be honest, when given the choice, I consciously chose to live in a less populated area. In addition to living near beaches, I’ve also lived in two major tourist destination cities and I’m tired of all that. I mean, there isn’t even a movie theatre in Kyōtango. (But it does snow and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t heckin’ excited for that.) :D 

My main focus while living in Japan is going to be the language and the culture. I plan on throwing myself into studying for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) so that I can pass the N4 level by the time I leave, learning a new skill/hobby like taiko (traditional Japanese drums) or kendo (a specific type of Japanese martial arts using bamboo swords and body armor). I want to immerse myself in everything Japanese. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be taking trips to Tokyo and parts of Japan I wasn’t able to visit on my first trip there. I won’t just hole myself up in my apartment with my books. (Not that that would be anything new for me...)

So! If I’m living in the middle of nowhere (so to speak) you might be wondering what the heck there is to do in Mineyama. Well, upon further research...not a lot. At least that I could fine online. That being said, the main pastime seems to be going to the beach. (Who would have thought, I know?) 

Buuuut, check out the photo below. That’s a picture of Kotohiki Beach. I’m only a 20 minute drive from this bad boy and, beauty aside, the beach makes an incredibly unique sound when walked upon. This is due the high levels of quartz found in the sand and has been lovingly nicknamed, The Singing Sand. It’s so popular and one of a kind that it made the list of Japan’s 100 Soundscapes. 

How cool is that?! 

So yeah, there may not be much to do where I’ll be living, but I do have a pretty interesting little slice of heaven. 

I wish I had more information to give but I know that once I arrive I’ll have so much more to work with. Keep checking back for updates on travel, photos of my new digs/city and general life living abroad. 

It’s gonna be one heck of an adventure.

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

京都府 (Kyoto-fu) Bound!!!

It’s funny how the universe works sometimes. Just last night I had a post all ready to go about how frustrated I was that I hadn’t heard anything concerning my placement in Japan from the JET Program yet. Then today, while I was out having lunch with a few co-workers, I happened to casually check my e-mail. Lo and behold, there it was. MY PLACEMENT E-MAIL.

Of course I immediately lost my mind as my stomach dropped out my butt. This is it. It’s real now. Well, as real as it can be until I’m actually there. 

Kyoto. Holy cow. 

I have to be honest that I was shocked to be placed in such a well known prefecture. I requested a rural area on my application because I want to work on my Japanese language skills as much as I want to teach English, but here I am in the 31st largest prefecture in Japan and the former Imperial Capitol for almost 1,000 years. (NBD) However, I *LOVED* Kyoto when I was there for the 祇園祭 (Gion Matsuri) which is the most famous festival in Japan. It spans the entire month of July and culminates in a giant float parade 山鉾順子 (Yamaboko Junko) through the city on July 17th. There really is nothing like it. You can read more about the 祇園祭 here:

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3942.html

According to the official e-mail, I will most likely be teaching high school and/or special needs students. I will essentially be working for the “state” as that’s what a prefecture is akin to. I won’t know exactly how many or what types of schools I’ll be working at until a later date. (Hurray, more waiting!) That being said, I’m only a 2 hour train ride from Nara where my Japanese “grandparents” live. I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM!!

これわようこさんとチリです！(This is Yoko & Chile!)

I don’t have a photo of 伊澤 (Isawa-san) but you better believe I will once I see them upon my arrival in 日本. (Japan) 

Kyoto has a TON of amazing shrines and temples. My absolute favorite is the 伏見稲荷大社 (Fushimi Inari Taisha) located in Souther Kyoto. Famous for it’s thousands of orange 鳥居(torii/gates) it’s one of the most recognizable places in all of Japan. I think it’s also incredibly fitting that this shrine is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice and his messenger is thought to be none other than the fox.

Perhaps one of the most well known temples in Kyoto is 金閣寺 (Kinkakuji) or The Golden Pavilion. Regal and splendid, it’s decorated in gold leaf that shines no matter the season. I was absolutely blown away by it’s beauty and majesty the first time I rounded the corner and set my eyes upon this temple.  

If ya’ll think the shrines and temples in Kyoto are amazing, check out the bamboo forest. (Again, another one of my favorite places in Japan.) Tall shoots of bamboo completely encapsulate you as you walk through the winding trails. It’s quiet. Calm. Peaceful. I’ve never felt more tranquil. It truly is a sight to behold and a place to experience if you can. It almost doesn’t even look real...

I could honestly go on and on about my future home, but then this post would be like, 20 pages long. If you’d really like to see what else Kyoto has to offer (and maybe even begin planning your trip to come and see me!) peep the links below. These will give you a better sense of what I’ll be seeing and doing while there.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/kyoto/

http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/kyoto

Be sure to check back soon as I’ll be posting more frequently as I receive more information. As always, feel free to reach out with questions or inquiries. I’d love to hear from you!!!

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)

[nashvilletonihon]

日本への旅

こんにちわみなさん！(Hello everyone!)

It’s the first post on my new blog! *confetti*

I’ll be 100% honest and transparent here. I’ve tried blogging in the past. Everything from books to baking and each one without success.

Guys, blogging takes TIME.

As someone who doesn’t really have a whole lot of that, it makes sense why my blogs never really caught on. Mainly because you have to actually write posts and update them. Who knew?

While I don’t have the best track record when it comes to blogging, I wanted to try my hand at it again and I’ll tell you why. Actually, let me just show you why…

This bad boy right here. A single sentence that will change my life forever. (I know. I still get heart palpitations and I’ve read it like, a million and one times.)

Over a year and a half of planning, taking Japanese language classes and becoming TESL certified paid off. In the best way possible. I cannot tell you how excited and honored I am to have been chosen for the JET Program.

If you’re interested in the program, click the link to check it out. The website will explain in more detail what I, as an ALT, will be doing while in Japan. You can also get newsletters and information on how to apply this coming October!

https://jetprogramusa.org/

My hope is that this blog will become a means of communication for those who wish to follow my journey leading up to departing for Japan and all of my adventures there until I return.

I’ll be posting photos, updates, information and videos all things JET Program and Japan. I think that being held accountable by my family, friends and loved ones will be a great reason to stay on top of things. *fingers crossed*

Please feel free to leave comments, words of encouragement or ask questions. I will do my best to answer or respond to them all.

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)