Thoughts on the Friday Before a Long Weekend
I'm definitely back in the swing of things in Japan, but am still really tired from the trip. I didn't really sleep on the plane and got home after 20:30 on Wesdnesday night. My next door neighboor, Miwa, stopped by and we went to Ito for a quick bowl of ramen for dinner. I tried, but I just couldn't managed to stay up to wait for Tu, another neighbor, who was coming back from Kobe with a visiting friend from New Zealand that he wanted me to meet. The guys actually got delayed in Akashi after a car ran into a Sanyo train (and the line shut down), but I was I was falling asleep on Miwa long before they would have made it. I think I was out before 10.
Work yesterday was fine, too, but I was also planning on going running when I got home and ended up just going to bed around 9:30, totally burnt-out.
I know I've only been back two days, but things do feel a bit different in some ways. Not so much with Japan itself or work, but I definitely feel like I'm on the downward slope of my time here, for example. The final stretch. I've been thinking and talking a lot about my post-Japan plans with people in the last two days and really need to get on figuring out where the heck I'm going to be in 8 months.
I think a lot of people that I know living here are considering extending their stay for fear of not being able to get a job back in their home country. We do have a secure enough situation (under our current contract) and you can actually save while you're here (while still living a comfortable lifestyle), but it looks like the economic downturn is starting to hit Japan and I think the situation here will paralell what we are now starting to see in the US in the next year or possibly two. For me, it's just time to go and time to do something else. I've had a really excellent run, but I'm ready for new and different challenge and a different adventure. Right now, I believe those adventures lie in the world of academia, although I will admit I don't know where I'll be after that. I also don't know if I should pursue the Masters at BC (where I've deferred) if, heaven forbid, I don't get into the law school. Or wait and see where else I can get money and go to a different school or state? I don't think I've actually said it out loud to anybody, but I've been thinking a bit about moving somewhere else for education. I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to Norway at this time, but that would still be an option. If the Greek citizenship comes through, so would studying or working in the EU. I contemplated NZ a bit during the trip (well, was flippantly playing with the idea), but it's a long way to move from home on a whim (expensive to relocate if I head back to MN after Japan) and I don't think it would be wise to pursue law if I went. The system is very different, so while I could potentially seek out opportunities in other Commonwealth countries, the truth is that I would have a lot of trouble using it to work in America if I ever want to go back. NZ is a beautiful place and there are a lot of other things I would be interested in doing if I ever spent more time there, but I'm just not sure now is the right time for that. Hmm.
Another big change since coming back has been a sudden desire to really put some effort and dedication to getting back into shape and preparing for the marathon in March. I'm running a 10k in two weeks, which I'm not really worried about, but I am feeling some unwanted changes in my body and sort of miss the rush that comes with thsoe longer runs. While I'm not a big fan of dieting (who is?), eating more healthy is also becoming a bigger priority. We're having pizza on Saturday night (half price Pizza Hut - yay!), for example, and I caught myself thinking what healthy options I could bring with me so I didn't binge on the kimchi pizza. I also got up early and went for a run before work today, something I think I need to start just making time for... morning person (and pain!) or not. I know I've always sort of been running and there was the foot injury last spring, then the humidity and farewell parties last summer, but I really feel like I haven't been serious about my routine for a long time and I'm finally ready to get back into it.
I should get going. A friend (of the school) from Perth is coming to visit today with his daughter, who has been living near Himeji since August. I've actually met his daughter a few times and I am sure we will have a nice lunch, but my desk is covered with postcards (erm, didn't quit get to sending the ones from the trip yet), books and paper. Monday is a national Holiday (Coming of Age Day), so we get a long weekend, but I think I'm going to keep it low-key and lighter on the budget if I can. More next week (and pictures/updates from the trip coming soon)!
Work yesterday was fine, too, but I was also planning on going running when I got home and ended up just going to bed around 9:30, totally burnt-out.
I know I've only been back two days, but things do feel a bit different in some ways. Not so much with Japan itself or work, but I definitely feel like I'm on the downward slope of my time here, for example. The final stretch. I've been thinking and talking a lot about my post-Japan plans with people in the last two days and really need to get on figuring out where the heck I'm going to be in 8 months.
I think a lot of people that I know living here are considering extending their stay for fear of not being able to get a job back in their home country. We do have a secure enough situation (under our current contract) and you can actually save while you're here (while still living a comfortable lifestyle), but it looks like the economic downturn is starting to hit Japan and I think the situation here will paralell what we are now starting to see in the US in the next year or possibly two. For me, it's just time to go and time to do something else. I've had a really excellent run, but I'm ready for new and different challenge and a different adventure. Right now, I believe those adventures lie in the world of academia, although I will admit I don't know where I'll be after that. I also don't know if I should pursue the Masters at BC (where I've deferred) if, heaven forbid, I don't get into the law school. Or wait and see where else I can get money and go to a different school or state? I don't think I've actually said it out loud to anybody, but I've been thinking a bit about moving somewhere else for education. I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to Norway at this time, but that would still be an option. If the Greek citizenship comes through, so would studying or working in the EU. I contemplated NZ a bit during the trip (well, was flippantly playing with the idea), but it's a long way to move from home on a whim (expensive to relocate if I head back to MN after Japan) and I don't think it would be wise to pursue law if I went. The system is very different, so while I could potentially seek out opportunities in other Commonwealth countries, the truth is that I would have a lot of trouble using it to work in America if I ever want to go back. NZ is a beautiful place and there are a lot of other things I would be interested in doing if I ever spent more time there, but I'm just not sure now is the right time for that. Hmm.
Another big change since coming back has been a sudden desire to really put some effort and dedication to getting back into shape and preparing for the marathon in March. I'm running a 10k in two weeks, which I'm not really worried about, but I am feeling some unwanted changes in my body and sort of miss the rush that comes with thsoe longer runs. While I'm not a big fan of dieting (who is?), eating more healthy is also becoming a bigger priority. We're having pizza on Saturday night (half price Pizza Hut - yay!), for example, and I caught myself thinking what healthy options I could bring with me so I didn't binge on the kimchi pizza. I also got up early and went for a run before work today, something I think I need to start just making time for... morning person (and pain!) or not. I know I've always sort of been running and there was the foot injury last spring, then the humidity and farewell parties last summer, but I really feel like I haven't been serious about my routine for a long time and I'm finally ready to get back into it.
I should get going. A friend (of the school) from Perth is coming to visit today with his daughter, who has been living near Himeji since August. I've actually met his daughter a few times and I am sure we will have a nice lunch, but my desk is covered with postcards (erm, didn't quit get to sending the ones from the trip yet), books and paper. Monday is a national Holiday (Coming of Age Day), so we get a long weekend, but I think I'm going to keep it low-key and lighter on the budget if I can. More next week (and pictures/updates from the trip coming soon)!
posted by Brenda Ann Elizabeth McKinney @ 3:32 PM
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