2-Year Anniversary

July 29th, 2007 was the start of my second life. I made a big leap of faith in coming to Japan, not knowing a single soul who lived there and leaving everything familiar behind. All I had coming in to the Land of the Rising Sun were two heavy suitcases filled with all my worldly belongings and a glimmer of hope. Although I worked really hard to get to Japan, I had no idea what my future held after arrival.

It seems so long ago since that day, but then again... it also seems like yesterday.

After reaching this 2-year milestone, I started to reflect on many things.

* I'm 33 years old now, but I still feel like I'm 25
* I put in 2 productive years in a Senior High School and learned a lot from the experience
* I have a new challenge ahead with the new Junior High School that I'll be teaching at, starting on Monday
* I have been simultaneously experiencing both sides of language learning, as a teacher and as a student... and it has been one of the most difficult things I have ever done
* I made a lot of friends... friends who I trust and friends who made life in Japan so much more enjoyable
* I had done a lot of rewarding and worthwhile volunteer work
* I have progressed in learning the Japanese language and passed Level 3 of the Japanese Language Proficency Test
* I had seen and done many crazy and/or interesting things, with a few of them being so bizarre that it felt like it was straight out of a comedy flick
* I fought loneliness and depression for long stretches... probably the worst depression I have ever experienced, but I have recently emerged as a more confident and happier person
* Living in a foreign country helped me learn so much more about myself, and I know I will continue to learn even more as I continue my life here

I have absolutely no regrets coming here to Japan. This was the shot in the arm that I desparately needed to put some punch back into my life. In America, I was lucky to have 2 interesting days in one month... but here in Japan, almost every day is an adventure. I always utter this statement to anyone who asks me about my life in Japan.

As I enter my 3rd year of life in Japan, I come in with a lot of hope and excitement. My first year was a rollercoaster ride that seemed too fast and quite unbelieveable at times. My second year was filled with hardships, trials and tribulations that really tested my faith.

Let's hope that third time's the charm for me.