Home

We all know that saying, "Home is where the heart is," but why does your heart decide to stay in any given place? I've learned many things about the world and myself since I started living in Japan. But the most important thing I've learned is that the people make a place "home." When I started living in Japan, I was scared, nervous, homesick, and at times I questioned why I ever decided to go across the Pacific. It didn't help that it was insanely cold (for a spoiled California resident), and that I wasn't working right away, but thinking about that time really makes me appreciate how I eventually came to feel about Iwaki and Japan.

First and foremost, I had April. If I didn't have April, I don't know what I would have done! I might have just given up, or maybe I wouldn't have even gone to Japan at all. She helped me get through the first few months. When I started my job, I came to like my kids and eventually my co-workers, granted I wasn't able to speak to any of them just yet. Within a few months of starting my job, I became a regular at our rock climbing gym, Drop-In. I felt like I was accepted into a special climbing family because the gym just felt so homey. Shortly after that, April got a new Japanese teacher who eventually started inviting me, and then Aki to join in every Tuesday night. We all really came to enjoy these nights hanging out with our tutor and her family. A little bit after that, Aki helped me get set up with a program called ANKI which I used to memorize kanji, vocabulary, and just get better at Japanese. After a few months of hanging out with our Japanese teacher's family and studying ANKI everyday, I became more and more comfortable speaking to my co-workers, rock climbing gym friends, and just happier that I could understand more of that world around me. And just as I was gaining more confidence and becoming the happiest I'd been since I came to Japan, I left. And that part of my life was over just like that.

I actually had to make the decision to either stay for another year or leave the job back in October 2013. I struggled to make that decision because of how big of an impact I knew it would have. I ultimately decided to leave my teaching position and come back to America to pursue my engineering career. I made this decision because I knew that the longer I stayed away from engineering, the lower my chances of landing an engineering job. By the time I came back to America, it had already been 1.5 years since I graduated from grad school and ended my internship at NASA. If I decided to stay another year... well, it's safe to say that this was definitely the deciding factor. Honestly, if it wasn't for an engineering career, I would have been perfectly content teaching English in Japan for the foreseeable future.

Iwaki eventually felt like home to me because of all the people I met and grew close with. These are the types of friends you have for life. It was really hard to leave them probably because I know that it will be harder for me to see them. I know I will go back to visit, but it won't be as often as say going down to San Diego to see my family and friends down there (which is only once or twice a year anyway). Realistically, it will only be once every couple of years. On top of that, leaving my kids was the hardest part of it all because they will all be completely different the next time I see them around. With adults, they more-or-less stay the same, but kids grow and mature so fast. I just hope they remember me when I come back.

Here are a few pictures of the people who have made a huge impact on my life in Japan. The vast majority of them were taken during my last two weeks in Japan.

Thanks for the present Airi!

Some of my A Class kids from this year

All of my A Class kids from this year

Noriki and Meguhiro, the twins who knew no Japanese or English when this school year started. They greeted me every morning as I switched from my outdoor shoes to my indoor shoes.

B Class, Hitone! I taught her last year

B Class, Yuna (I taught her last year)

B Class, Himeka (I taught her last year). Her dad's izakaya is awesome.

My co-teacher this year, Rika 先生

Ken and Go are back!

So is Taiga

Azuza (A Class) and her brother Issa (B class)

A Class, Saki

We're carrying Behina?

B Class, Ryoma! He's actually leaving Iwaki as well. His dad got relocated for his job. I talked to his dad about running a few times...

Himeka's dad and grandma at their izakaya

John and Michiko 先生 playing thumb war because yes.

Thanks 海陸! Awesome English conversation students

Glad we were able to party together before I left

My rockclimbing twin, Misaki-san

Just Ayumi downing some Bacardi

Ayumi's dad and John comparing beer bellies.

???

Pre Class, Saki

B Class, Yuzuki and A Class, Yudai

My last day at the kindergarten

The Takahashi family saw me off at the airport!

New and old friends having a BBQ at Ayumi's place

My Drop-In Family, ドロップイン家族

My Japanese studying family, 日本語勉強家族

Thank you Hiroe-san, Kanan, Kiyo, and Riora for my going-away present!

Neighbors for life, eating at our favorite burger spot in Iwaki.

Don and Colin, thanks for being crazy and climbing Fuji with me.

Iwaki was my home for only 1.5 years, but meeting all those people and creating amazing relationships with them made it feel a lot longer than that. I'm leaving Iwaki, but the people there will always make it feel like home to me. See you soon!