Placement

Moriya-shi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

100 miles southwest of Iwaki-shi, Fukushima Prefecture
35 miles northeast of Tokyo

A. Iwaki
B. Moriya
C. Tokyo

It was take it or be thrown back into the placement pool. And for fear of being placed even further from Iwaki and also because of its close proximity to Tokyo, I decided to take it. I will be teaching at at least one elementary school in Moriya-shi starting some time between April 6-8, 2013. I got very lucky as this comes before the end of my tourist Visa, which means I can change my return flight to the United States into a round trip flight to a nearby country. I can activate my work Visa in this way. Additionally, this is an opportunity for a mini vacation ;D

It was a semi-tough decision because I really wanted to be in the same town as April, but all things considered I think it works out for the best. Being so close to Tokyo will expose more engineering jobs for me, and April will even consider moving down to Moriya at some point in the future. The possibilities are endless! It also allows us both to still be independent and we can still see each other on the weekends. I think this is an important transition point in our relationship because we have never spent more than a month together (in-person) and I think this will help ease the transition into seeing each other more. We aren't your ordinary couple.

In other news, here's my placement on a bouldering wall with April at Drop-In in Iwaki:

This is an interesting sign placed on a wall at an American restaurant in Iwaki.

And here's some Natto, a traditional Japanese breakfast dish rich in protein and nutrients, placed on our cutting board in the kitchen:

I think I'm loving it here so far. The language barrier is tough, but people are nice and I'm learning. I look forward to exploring Moriya-shi and eventually... the world. 

Change

Life.

It's beautiful, unpredictable, and short. Why not make the most of it? I haven't blogged since my Xanga days and I must say it's a bit weird to be here clicking away on my keyboard, reflecting on what I have done recently. Recently. Heh. Recently, time has seemed to fly by and I've lost count of how many days have passed since I changed my life. It comes whether you want it or not. I have come to accept change and even embrace it. That is why I am here in Iwaki-shi, Fukushima-ken, Japan, and not still in California. That's why I'm taking a break from engineering to teach English for a year. It's why I have decided to travel while I am still young, and why I am still in love.

I've been in Japan for 6 days, but it already feels like home. There is the obvious language barrier to get over, and the ridiculously frigid temperatures, but I think those issues will be alleviated with time. I look forward to learning Japanese and I have come to enjoy wearing winter clothing. For once in my life I actually have reasons to own sweaters, jackets, scarves, beanies, and gloves. I love the fact that Tokyo is a 3 hour bus ride/2 hour train ride away and that the town that I live in right now is small with some city-ish qualities. It has a couple of malls, some nice running trails, and a homey yet unfamiliar feel.

My warm feelings would not be possible without my girl. Right after I landed, she took me around Tokyo, taught me about Japanese idiosyncrasies and how to adjust to culture here, and treated me to a nice hotel and amazing food.

Reunion!

Meiji Shrine

Shibuya Scramble

Pokemon Center

Tokyo Skyline

Tokyo has the most amazing public transportation system ever. The whole city is connected via subway and a train comes every 4 minutes AT MOST. Sometimes the next train came 1 minute after the previous one. Some of the restaurant employ an electronic payment system where you order and pay a machine before you eat. You give the ticket to the waiter/chef, and the food is brought out to you. Tokyo never ceased to amaze me with its efficiency, cleanliness, and grandeur. The whole city is constantly in motion and I love it.

After spending a couple of days in Tokyo, we finally went home. To my new home. To our new home. After unpacking and settling in, we participated in a relay race!

In the short time that I have been here I have already met some amazing people, explored the city during a 10-mile run, cooked some amazing food with my girl, and started a blog! AMAZING! Okay, it's probably not as amazing to a person reading this with no context, but it feels pretty exhilarating to me. And that's all that matters. Why am I blogging then? I guess I just realized how nice it is to reflect and remember what you've done, before moving on and doing more amazing things with your life. Life is full of change and unpredictability, but ultimately you dictate the final outcome.