Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Still here!

Hey everyone, I realize it's been a *really* long time since I last wrote! I've started dozens of entries in my head over the last month, and even have a few drafts only half finished, but for some reason I haven't felt compelled to do much blogging. I guess my mind has been pulled in too many other directions.

Right now, it's transition time ... again. Time to pack up my life and relocate, again. Time to wrap up a job and gear up for a new one, again. Time to say goodbye to all the people who have been a regular part of my life for the past year, again. It's a familiar place for me to be by now. If you count the times leaving home and leaving Korea, this is my fourth time doing it. It does get easier, thankfully.

And you know what? I actually really enjoy it - the process of officially ending one phase/place in my life and setting up a new one. Maybe I was a nomad in a past life? I'm not even sure why I like it. Is it the feeling of being able to "starting over," and getting away from all the things in this life that I'm not crazy about? The excitement of something new to come? I've always despised routine and too much regularity, so it's natural that a complete change in my life every few years is appealing to me.

One thing I really love, which I've just finally embraced recently, is packing. Yes, I said it - I like packing! Not necessarily the actual act of putting things in boxes, but the WHOLE PROCESS of moving all my belongs to another place. I like it because it forces me to downsize to only the things I really need to keep. I've always been amazed at how easy it is to amass a whole bunch of shit that I don't really want or need. It's like it happens independent of my will - the stuff just collects and when it's time to move I find myself going, "Where did all this crap come from?" Does it reproduce on it's own? (Now there's a good premise for a bad sci-fi!) But anyways, when I move, I get to, first of all, go through all my belongings and take a full inventory of my stuff, much of which gets forgotten about. And even better, I get to get rid of all that extra crap. And that is really, really refreshing.

I also love the process of moving all the stuff I keep into a new place. Since I get rid of everything I don't want, what left is mostly only stuff that is useful or meaningful to me - which makes the unpacking really enjoyable as well. I feel good about each and every item that I take out of the bag and find a place for in my new room. Sort of like when we used to decorate the X-mas tree -- each ornament has special meaning for my mom, so it was a joy for her to unwrap them and hang them on the tree each year.

And, even more fun, which I am really looking forward to this year, is digging into those boxes which have been left at home, stuffed away in corners of my old room and my parent's attic. You know, the stuff that doesn't need to come when you live abroad, but simply can't be thrown out because it is meaningful or just not practical to take along. Boxes of old letters, trinkets, kitchen stuff. It's going to be extra fun this year because I get to unpack my old classroom boxes after 3 years, and I'm tremendously excited about that.

This particular transition in my life is very different, because I have to get everything set up for my "new life" before I've wrapped up my current life. For most people on my program, it's a matter of getting everything taken care of here, then moving back home and ..... hanging out at mom and dad's house looking for a job for several months. But not for me! Unfortunately, the timing of the JET program is absolutely shitty for people who are teachers back home -- our contracts end only a few weeks before the school year in the US begins. So unless you're willing to be a sub for a year, try find a last minute job partway into the school year, couch surf, blow your savings, live at your parents, or get a temporary sales job - NONE of which I am willing to do right now, you've got to get it all set up from afar, while you are also in the process of bring your life in Japan to a close.

So for the past month, I've been finishing my classes, saying goodbyes to students, packing up my apartment and communicating with my successor, while also job, car and house hunting over the internet. It's a weird thing to do! Dividing yourself between two lives means never feeling fully engaged in either one.

But the good new is (here's the part where those of you who have been yelling, "So when the hell are you coming home and what the hell are you going to be doing?" can relax), I've got it all arranged already! Amazing what can be accomplished over the internet these days!

I'll be coming home on August 8th. 10 days later, on August 18th, I have to report for my first day of work, and shortly after that I'll start teaching. I will be a social studies teacher at Oakland Aviation High School, the same school I was doing administrative work at before I left for Japan. I'll be living in Alameda, sharing a house with 3 people who I've never met (it's much better than it sounds though, trust me), and hopefully riding my bike to work on most days. Just this past weekend, my awesome dad bought me a car, although he is making my pay him back. So all of the major details are taken care of, which takes a lot of weight off my shoulders!

As for now, these last two weeks in Japan should be really enjoyable. I'm finished at work, although I still technically have to go in for a few hours each day. I'm mainly using the time to set things up for my successor. She arrives on the 31st, and we share the apartment for a week. I've got to be all packed up and moved into the spare room before she arrives though, because I want it to feel like its HER place when she arrives. I'll spend a few days showing her the ropes at work and in town, then head to Tokyo to catch my flight home.

And in the meantime, I'm going to bed before 10, waking up around 6 to blue skies and the screech of cicadas, enjoying relaxing mornings, going to work for a few hours, exercising, cleaning the apartment and taking care of all the last minute details. Life is really nice right now. The heat is brutal, but I'm still riding my bike to work, and living 10 minutes for a great beach makes it pretty bearable. Farewell parties are this weekend, and for now I'm just enjoying my downtime before it's time to go.

2 Comments:

Blogger Danielle said...

You're coming home!! I've really enjoyed reading your blog and hearing all about your experiences, but I'm glad you've decided to come back:)

I can't believe you enjoy packing. You are crazy. We just moved and it was so much work!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

looking forward to your return and being "neighbors" soon. enjoy your last few weeks in japan!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

 

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