We made it. We finally got everything worked out. It was quite the roller-coaster ride to get here, but despite all of the hurdles we made it. I can't express my gratitude enough for the Facebook groups who helped me through it all. I know we wouldn't be here in Japan without their guidance and support.
Getting moved out, packed up and then flying halfway around the world, setting up a new home and getting over jet-lag have all taken their toll. Not to mention I had to re-adjust to living in Japan and getting my son used to going to Japanese Hoikuen (pre-school/daycare). We still have our good days and our bad days. Somedays we can't wait to get out and explore, somedays we are so tired we just can't wait to get home and eat some cereal and go to bed. It takes a long time to completely settle in, longer so because I have a child to help through the culture shock. We have both been a bit ornery and crabby until now. But I think with the fall weather starting to come around, a nice cool breeze and some time to adjust, we're starting to feel completely settled.
The things I was so worried about: hoikuen, commute and the cat have all
worked themselves out.
The hoikuen has turned out to be amazing, C's
teacher even speaks a little English, and between her English and my
Japanese we manage to communicate just fine. C has made a friend at
school, who is also half Japanese. C says he speaks English, but I have yet to hear him or his mother speaking English, I believe they speak Portuguese...but I'm glad C has a friend.
The commute isn't so bad. The school I visit on mondays (40 min bus ride, 20 min walk), turns out that I don't go to that school very often, especially in September, as there are 3 holidays on mondays in Sept. and therefore, no school. Even so, the commute isn't so bad. I drop C off at daycare at 7:30 (right when they open) and I pick him up at 5:45, which is honestly pretty on par with the hours he was at daycare in the US. The other two schools are no problem at all, but I am getting my exercise! I never did buy a car, so I've been biking at least 1 hour each day, two days a week, it's 2 hours - bonus, I've dropped 4 sizes in two months! none of my clothes fit anymore, time to go shopping!
The cat - I've emailed back and forth with the family that is keeping her and she's settled in just fine. The other cat and her are friends now, and we'll be back in 2.5 months to get her. I do miss her, but honestly I don't know how I would have done it if we would have brought her with us at the start. There was plenty to deal with, I'm glad we were able to leave her for a few months and then pick her up after Christmas.
Everything is working out... ;)
We've also started exploring our town a bit more. Every weekend we take a little bike ride to find a new store and area to explore. Usually I have a destination in mind, but sometimes we just ride and see where it gets us. I definitely want to stay longer than a year, things just take more time when you are a family JET. One year just won't be enough for us to explore and do everything we want to do. We bought a tent and a sleeping bag and we've already been camping once, with many more camping trips to plan in the future!
A Single Parent's Journey moving to Japan with the JET Program
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Don't Give Up!!!
Sorry for the length of time between posts - it's been quite the whirlwind of a month. Has it really only been a month, it feels like three. Finally heard from my BOE, we will be going to Kurashiki City in Okayama Prefecture. I am so excited. However, we have been running hurtles trying to sort out details. There are several JET couples in Okayama, however I am the first JET with a child the prefecture has welcomed, so it's been a learning experience for everyone. The following is only meant to communicate the difficulties I faced and the amount of stress one can possibly expect (of course ESID) to face. Please understand that the BOE, the JET program of Okayama, and the community have bent over backwards to help me solve all of these difficulties. The circumstances were difficult, but all of us worked together to solve them, and for that I am most truly thankful to everyone!
Finding a long term boarding facility for the cat:
I have called about 30 different vets and boarding facilities and either they won't board a cat for that long or I got quotes from $500-1000 per month. I can't afford that - and they all want the entire 5 months payments upfront. I literally sat in my car during lunch for 3 days sobbing on the phone with places asking if they knew anyone, anyone at all who would consider taking a cat in for 5 months. None of my family or friends are able to take her, many wished they could, but cannot for various reasons. I have 5 weeks to find somewhere, otherwise we may not be able to go to Japan.
Hoikuen:
I first got an email from the prefecture saying that they are looking forward to welcoming me and my son to Okayama prefecture, however daycare in Japan is in high demand and they are unable to find a spot for my son. period. They are all full. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
So I took to Facebook and posted a plea to have anyone help me that was already in Okayama. Can I just say that the ex-pat community in Okayama is awesome! I had no less than 4 people helping me find daycare, answering questions, calling the childcare division at city hall and calming me down as I'm panicking because I'm thinking we aren't able to go after all that hard work. A good friend found my son a spot in a daycare and the BOE got him enrolled! One hurtle down. We're going to Japan in 4 weeks!
Travel:
I then find out that the daycare is 30 minutes away by bike. Unfortunately my schools are 15 minutes from the apartment in the complete opposite direction. Making my commute time an hour and 15 minutes by bike to my two main schools. I'm either going to be really fit and strong or need to buy a car (which I was hoping to avoid). Plus one of my visiting schools is a 40 minute bus ride plus a 20 minute uphill walk. So every Monday I would have to drop C off at daycare at 6 am. The daycare doesn't open until 6:30. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
My BOE understood this dilemma and has adjusted my start time at that school so I can drop C off at a more reasonable hour. Perhaps not ideal, but I can work with it. We're going to Japan!
Cat:
I tried to ask in the politest way if it would be possible to bring the cat. I knew from talking with my predecessor that a previous tenant had a dog, so I thought it was reasonable to assume pets were okay. I got an email back saying pets are not allowed. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
So I google Okayama pet apartments, and using google translate manage to find 2 apartments that allow pets, one very near where the current apartment is, and one nearer to the daycare. So I email the links to the BOE to see if I am allowed to move apartments. I then get a email back saying that pets are actually okay in the current apartment, so no need to move. (with a nice apology). We are going to Japan! I just need to find somewhere for the cat to stay for 5 months until we can return at christmas to get her.
Lucky Break!
I didn't just find one place for the cat, I found 2! A very nice family has offered to keep her for 5 months, and I found a pet sitter that was willing to board her for a very reasonable fee. I haven't completely decided who she will stay with, but we have had a home visit with both, and Elouise gets along very well with the other animals at both homes. Two more weeks and we're going to Japan!
So, yes, it has been very stressful. I think I lost about 5 lbs in a week because I couldn't eat or sleep. However, I didn't give up - and it has paid off! I even went on an interview for a new job here in Dallas thinking that we weren't going. But here we are! My utmost gratitude to the people who have helped me overcome all of these hurtles and answered question and helped to calm me down. I don't know that I could have done all of it without their help. I can't wait to meet these people and thank them in person.
Finding a long term boarding facility for the cat:
I have called about 30 different vets and boarding facilities and either they won't board a cat for that long or I got quotes from $500-1000 per month. I can't afford that - and they all want the entire 5 months payments upfront. I literally sat in my car during lunch for 3 days sobbing on the phone with places asking if they knew anyone, anyone at all who would consider taking a cat in for 5 months. None of my family or friends are able to take her, many wished they could, but cannot for various reasons. I have 5 weeks to find somewhere, otherwise we may not be able to go to Japan.
Hoikuen:
I first got an email from the prefecture saying that they are looking forward to welcoming me and my son to Okayama prefecture, however daycare in Japan is in high demand and they are unable to find a spot for my son. period. They are all full. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
So I took to Facebook and posted a plea to have anyone help me that was already in Okayama. Can I just say that the ex-pat community in Okayama is awesome! I had no less than 4 people helping me find daycare, answering questions, calling the childcare division at city hall and calming me down as I'm panicking because I'm thinking we aren't able to go after all that hard work. A good friend found my son a spot in a daycare and the BOE got him enrolled! One hurtle down. We're going to Japan in 4 weeks!
Travel:
I then find out that the daycare is 30 minutes away by bike. Unfortunately my schools are 15 minutes from the apartment in the complete opposite direction. Making my commute time an hour and 15 minutes by bike to my two main schools. I'm either going to be really fit and strong or need to buy a car (which I was hoping to avoid). Plus one of my visiting schools is a 40 minute bus ride plus a 20 minute uphill walk. So every Monday I would have to drop C off at daycare at 6 am. The daycare doesn't open until 6:30. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
My BOE understood this dilemma and has adjusted my start time at that school so I can drop C off at a more reasonable hour. Perhaps not ideal, but I can work with it. We're going to Japan!
Cat:
I tried to ask in the politest way if it would be possible to bring the cat. I knew from talking with my predecessor that a previous tenant had a dog, so I thought it was reasonable to assume pets were okay. I got an email back saying pets are not allowed. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
So I google Okayama pet apartments, and using google translate manage to find 2 apartments that allow pets, one very near where the current apartment is, and one nearer to the daycare. So I email the links to the BOE to see if I am allowed to move apartments. I then get a email back saying that pets are actually okay in the current apartment, so no need to move. (with a nice apology). We are going to Japan! I just need to find somewhere for the cat to stay for 5 months until we can return at christmas to get her.
Lucky Break!
I didn't just find one place for the cat, I found 2! A very nice family has offered to keep her for 5 months, and I found a pet sitter that was willing to board her for a very reasonable fee. I haven't completely decided who she will stay with, but we have had a home visit with both, and Elouise gets along very well with the other animals at both homes. Two more weeks and we're going to Japan!
So, yes, it has been very stressful. I think I lost about 5 lbs in a week because I couldn't eat or sleep. However, I didn't give up - and it has paid off! I even went on an interview for a new job here in Dallas thinking that we weren't going. But here we are! My utmost gratitude to the people who have helped me overcome all of these hurtles and answered question and helped to calm me down. I don't know that I could have done all of it without their help. I can't wait to meet these people and thank them in person.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Stressing
So normally I'm a very easygoing kind of person. Right now, I'm completely off the wall stressed out. I haven't heard from my BOE (Board of Education) yet, so I don't know if my cat can go with us to Japan, and I don't know where we'll be living in a month and a half. Seriously stressing out about all the unknowns right now. I have to submit the 40 days advance notification to the Japanese Quarantine Services this week and I haven't been contacted by my BOE yet. I'm pushing ahead as if I'll be able to bring the cat (Elouise) because I don't know what else to do. I know many housing options don't allow pets, but I'm crossing my fingers I will be one of the lucky ones.
Other considerations for bringing a pet are: boarding in Houston during the pre-departure orientation, boarding at Narita Airport for the 4 days of Tokyo Orientation, and paying the pet deposit fees for all the flights as well as for the apartment. I can't bear to think of what I might have to do if I cannot bring her with us. My son would be crushed. She has been nicknamed 'Little Sister' because they are so close and act like siblings. I have put out a FB message last week to my friends asking if anyone could care for her, but so far no luck. I've even looked into long term boarding options as a last resort, but I cannot afford the $425/month price.
I'm at a loss as to what to do until I hear from my BOE...hoping I'll hear from them by the end of the week. sigh....
Other considerations for bringing a pet are: boarding in Houston during the pre-departure orientation, boarding at Narita Airport for the 4 days of Tokyo Orientation, and paying the pet deposit fees for all the flights as well as for the apartment. I can't bear to think of what I might have to do if I cannot bring her with us. My son would be crushed. She has been nicknamed 'Little Sister' because they are so close and act like siblings. I have put out a FB message last week to my friends asking if anyone could care for her, but so far no luck. I've even looked into long term boarding options as a last resort, but I cannot afford the $425/month price.
I'm at a loss as to what to do until I hear from my BOE...hoping I'll hear from them by the end of the week. sigh....
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Placement
Finally after weeks of stressing and waiting, we have our placement. Okayama-ken! Okayama was my first choice. It's a larger city than Takamatsu (where I lived in 2006), but still very close so I can visit my friends in Takamatsu.
Okayama is on the southern end of Honshu, Japan's main island. It is approx. halfway between Hiroshima and Kobe, and relatively close to Tottori. I have always wanted to take C to Tottori to see the sand dunes and the ocean. I don't know exactly where in Okayama we will be living yet, but I am encouraged to find many JET families go to Okayama. I am even more excited now that I know there will be other families and we are able to research all the fun things to do and see in Okayama.
I have already started packing, getting the house ready for rent, and switching over my address to my parents house. I also purchased my son's and mothers plane tickets. They are flying over a week after I will get to Okayama, which gives me a chance to get used to the neighborhood, apply for my gaijin card, open a bank account, get a cell phone, and find a grocery store. Plus unpack and start making it feel like home. And while I've never been apart from my son for more than one night, I think this week apart is the best timing, though I will miss him terribly. Plus my mom will stay with us for 2 weeks so that C can adapt to the time zone change and get settled into school a bit before she leaves.
We are still waiting to hear from our BOE (Board of Education) exactly where in Okayama-ken we will be living, but knowing the city is a huge relief. Now I can shift my attention to finishing up all the details on my birthday party/going away party. It is an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party. My un-30th birthday if you will (I am turning 31) ;). Very exciting! Should be a blast, I can't wait to post photos. Party planning is one of my favorite things to do. Busy, busy....
Okayama is on the southern end of Honshu, Japan's main island. It is approx. halfway between Hiroshima and Kobe, and relatively close to Tottori. I have always wanted to take C to Tottori to see the sand dunes and the ocean. I don't know exactly where in Okayama we will be living yet, but I am encouraged to find many JET families go to Okayama. I am even more excited now that I know there will be other families and we are able to research all the fun things to do and see in Okayama.
I have already started packing, getting the house ready for rent, and switching over my address to my parents house. I also purchased my son's and mothers plane tickets. They are flying over a week after I will get to Okayama, which gives me a chance to get used to the neighborhood, apply for my gaijin card, open a bank account, get a cell phone, and find a grocery store. Plus unpack and start making it feel like home. And while I've never been apart from my son for more than one night, I think this week apart is the best timing, though I will miss him terribly. Plus my mom will stay with us for 2 weeks so that C can adapt to the time zone change and get settled into school a bit before she leaves.
We are still waiting to hear from our BOE (Board of Education) exactly where in Okayama-ken we will be living, but knowing the city is a huge relief. Now I can shift my attention to finishing up all the details on my birthday party/going away party. It is an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party. My un-30th birthday if you will (I am turning 31) ;). Very exciting! Should be a blast, I can't wait to post photos. Party planning is one of my favorite things to do. Busy, busy....
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Accepted!!!
Accepted!!! Normally the graphic design rule is never use more than one exclamation point after a word or sentence...it's over used and not gramaticaly correct, however I can't contain my excitement. We're in.
We are moving to Japan. I got my acceptance email April 3rd, and it's been a flurry of activity and list making since then. Finally - a plan in place. I realize it's now May 9th, but with all the paperwork due, the scheduling of appointments and the new job to learn, it's just been all I can do to get these things done. I have met with one property management company and have another scheduled to tour the house this week. I've sold most of baby stuff from storage, packed up the Christmas decorations and things we won't need from the garage anytime soon, compiled a pile of garage sale items and stuff to sell on craigslist, as well as looked into storage options for my stuff.
Whew...we've been going places every weekend...Dallas Zoo, Ft Worth Japanese Garden for a festival, friends and families houses...and this weekend we are just planning on staying home. I'm looking forward to just having the weekend at home. I do have to clean and mow and do yardwork so that the property management company can come look at the house, but I need to do those things anyway. I've also been sewing like mad. I won't be bringing my sewing machine to Japan, so I'm trying to make all of C's school bags beforehand (note: not talking Randoseru here, but all the cloth bags the kids need). I've made him a lunch kit already, but the school bags are proving problematic. There doesn't seem to be a standard size, each school designates their own sizes and each for a very specific purpose...しょうがない.
This week I've been checking my email fanatically because placement results should be sent out soon. Very unproductive. Oh and just as an update, the job I was so excited about is mind-numbingly boring. I keep telling myself I'm almost 1/2 way through it..just hang in there. So much to do to be sitting at a desk all day where nobody talks to me. I think that's the part that gets to me the most...the lack of social interaction. Seriously, most of these people don't even leave their desks for lunch. 12:00 hits and I am out of there, I need some vitamin D, get away from that desk for awhile, and just to move around. I was not meant to work a desk job. All the more reason to put my goals into action...wait...put my plan into action so I can reach my goals. There that makes more sense.
The only thing I haven't found time for yet is a Saturday home-school Japanese Class for C. I really need to work on getting that into our schedule. So many things to do... ;) but so worth it!
We are moving to Japan. I got my acceptance email April 3rd, and it's been a flurry of activity and list making since then. Finally - a plan in place. I realize it's now May 9th, but with all the paperwork due, the scheduling of appointments and the new job to learn, it's just been all I can do to get these things done. I have met with one property management company and have another scheduled to tour the house this week. I've sold most of baby stuff from storage, packed up the Christmas decorations and things we won't need from the garage anytime soon, compiled a pile of garage sale items and stuff to sell on craigslist, as well as looked into storage options for my stuff.
Whew...we've been going places every weekend...Dallas Zoo, Ft Worth Japanese Garden for a festival, friends and families houses...and this weekend we are just planning on staying home. I'm looking forward to just having the weekend at home. I do have to clean and mow and do yardwork so that the property management company can come look at the house, but I need to do those things anyway. I've also been sewing like mad. I won't be bringing my sewing machine to Japan, so I'm trying to make all of C's school bags beforehand (note: not talking Randoseru here, but all the cloth bags the kids need). I've made him a lunch kit already, but the school bags are proving problematic. There doesn't seem to be a standard size, each school designates their own sizes and each for a very specific purpose...しょうがない.
This week I've been checking my email fanatically because placement results should be sent out soon. Very unproductive. Oh and just as an update, the job I was so excited about is mind-numbingly boring. I keep telling myself I'm almost 1/2 way through it..just hang in there. So much to do to be sitting at a desk all day where nobody talks to me. I think that's the part that gets to me the most...the lack of social interaction. Seriously, most of these people don't even leave their desks for lunch. 12:00 hits and I am out of there, I need some vitamin D, get away from that desk for awhile, and just to move around. I was not meant to work a desk job. All the more reason to put my goals into action...wait...put my plan into action so I can reach my goals. There that makes more sense.
The only thing I haven't found time for yet is a Saturday home-school Japanese Class for C. I really need to work on getting that into our schedule. So many things to do... ;) but so worth it!
Preperations
In order to prepare my son and myself for the possibility of moving to Japan, I've outlined the things I've done to help my son transition into life in Japan.
I've been taking weekly Japanese lessons from a fantastic, and very patient native-Japanese teacher. In turn, I am teaching C (my son) as much as I can. During my six weeks of unemployment, I was homeschooling C. We covered all the normal Kindergarten curriculum, but what I loved most of all was being able to incorporate Japanese into a daily lesson. In just a few days, I had him speaking (and retaining), colors, numbers 1-10, a-i-u-e-o, simple shapes, and various vocabulary such as: oishi, oyasumi, onakaga suika, empitsu, taboru, isu, toire, doko, kudasai, ikedakimasu, hoshi, ohashi. It was amazing! Of course the best part was just being able to spend time with him, playing outside, planting our spring garden, and just playing.
I have also talked to him and told him many bedtime stories about life in Japan. For Christmas I gave him a book entitled "The Way We Do It In Japan" by Geneva Cobb Iijima. I highly recommend this book for anyone thinking of going to Japan with a small child. This book is a great introduction to how things may be different from America, but as long as we approach the new experiences with an open mind, things will be okay, even if it is a bit difficult at first. The other book we use a lot is a Children's Japanese Picture Dictionary. There are small pictures of individual objects, people, etc with the word in English, Japanese, and Romanji. There is also a larger image with all the pictures incorporated. Even though the illustrations look a bit outdated, the content is excellent and we make a look and find game out of it. I haven't ever read it to him in English - I only say the word in Japanese, and make him repeat it, and then repeat it again when he finds the word in the larger image. We also listen to Japanese Children's music in the car.
I try to be very open with my son. I have explained to him that the first few months will be a little difficult, and it takes time to transition into a new culture. But I am always careful to end with the positive things we will gain from going - new friends, speaking Japanese, more mommy and C time, travel and adventures, and a broader understanding of how other people live in other parts of the world. That is after all what it's all about, JET is a cultural exchange program and it extends to the family as well. I realize he is only 5, he does not fully comprehend the fact that Grandma and Grandpa will not be 10 minutes down the street, but he does understand that we can talk to them everyday on the computer (skype).
I will do everything in my power to make sure that Japan is an exciting adventure for him. Depending on what I am left by my predecessor, I plan on buying C the KURA bed from Ikea that he loves. Everytime we go to Ikea, he wants to play under it. I've showed him different things in the store, and he's picked out his bedding, and a rug. I also purchased those vinyl wall stickers (easily removable) that are so popular right now - he has Transformers for his room and he doesn't know I bought them, it will be a surprise. He LOVES Transformers. I plan on having it all set up when he arrives, 2 weeks after I do. And since we haven't ever been apart for more than a day at a time, I found an awesome little Lego necklace on Etsy.com that I plan on purchasing to make the separation easier. Two Lego bricks snap together to make a heart - perfect for a 5 year old boy!
As for myself, what I have done to prep for Japan is create a bunch of lists and get many things in order that probably should have been done years ago but I have somehow managed to neglect :) I took photographs of everything I own that is going into storage (don't forget to do this during Christmas too - before the decorations are all put away!), not only so I can remember when it comes time to move back, but also in case anything happens, I have an insurance catalog to prove I owned those items. I also have made sure I have an IRA set up as well as a 529 plan for C's college fund (though this has been in place for several years already - I made sure the contributions would be covered for the first few months of living abroad, until I am able to transfer some money home), and most importantly, a living will and trust.
I have researched and found a property management company that I will contact as soon as I know if I have been accepted into the program. They will take care of renting my house out to responsible tenants, take care of any issues or coordinate repairs and really, just make sure I don't have to worry about it while I'm in Japan. Best part is - I don't have to worry about selling the house in less than four months and I can make some extra money off of it while living in Japan.
Lists I've made: (and I guess this is my List of Lists?)
Packing list - by room
Shipping list - mostly foodstuffs that I want to make our transition easier and to give me time to find these items or similar items in Japan.
To do list before I rent out the house (paint, get carpets cleaned, change filters etc)
Ikea shopping list (okay, so this is a dream list)
Don't Forget to Change the Address lists (anything from magazines to Credit card bills - don't forget W-2's from previous employers!) Also, file a forwarding address at the post office.
Places to go in Japan List
Places to go before we leave list
...did I mention I like making lists? It helps me stay organized and not worry about the details ;)
Other things I have gathered or created are:
Budget - one for now to prepare for departure, one for when we are living in Japan, including a max budget for startup (furniture, kitchenwares etc...)to get my apartment feeling like a home.
Phone numbers, addresses, emails of everyone (though FB is always a good backup)
Recipe index - collection of digital recipes that we love along with sources for finding ingredients in Japan.
Digitize DVD collection - for when we are craving some English TV and having a movie night.
Goals - what I want to accomplish while in Japan, both to give and get out of the experience. Also, I've created a plan or goal for what I want to do when I get back to the USA.
Aaannnddd, last but definitely not the least - getting the cat into Japan is probably the most difficult and expensive part of the whole process! I will cover that in its own post because it's extensive. I never said moving halfway across the world would be easy! But it will definitely be worth it.
I've been taking weekly Japanese lessons from a fantastic, and very patient native-Japanese teacher. In turn, I am teaching C (my son) as much as I can. During my six weeks of unemployment, I was homeschooling C. We covered all the normal Kindergarten curriculum, but what I loved most of all was being able to incorporate Japanese into a daily lesson. In just a few days, I had him speaking (and retaining), colors, numbers 1-10, a-i-u-e-o, simple shapes, and various vocabulary such as: oishi, oyasumi, onakaga suika, empitsu, taboru, isu, toire, doko, kudasai, ikedakimasu, hoshi, ohashi. It was amazing! Of course the best part was just being able to spend time with him, playing outside, planting our spring garden, and just playing.
I have also talked to him and told him many bedtime stories about life in Japan. For Christmas I gave him a book entitled "The Way We Do It In Japan" by Geneva Cobb Iijima. I highly recommend this book for anyone thinking of going to Japan with a small child. This book is a great introduction to how things may be different from America, but as long as we approach the new experiences with an open mind, things will be okay, even if it is a bit difficult at first. The other book we use a lot is a Children's Japanese Picture Dictionary. There are small pictures of individual objects, people, etc with the word in English, Japanese, and Romanji. There is also a larger image with all the pictures incorporated. Even though the illustrations look a bit outdated, the content is excellent and we make a look and find game out of it. I haven't ever read it to him in English - I only say the word in Japanese, and make him repeat it, and then repeat it again when he finds the word in the larger image. We also listen to Japanese Children's music in the car.
I try to be very open with my son. I have explained to him that the first few months will be a little difficult, and it takes time to transition into a new culture. But I am always careful to end with the positive things we will gain from going - new friends, speaking Japanese, more mommy and C time, travel and adventures, and a broader understanding of how other people live in other parts of the world. That is after all what it's all about, JET is a cultural exchange program and it extends to the family as well. I realize he is only 5, he does not fully comprehend the fact that Grandma and Grandpa will not be 10 minutes down the street, but he does understand that we can talk to them everyday on the computer (skype).
I will do everything in my power to make sure that Japan is an exciting adventure for him. Depending on what I am left by my predecessor, I plan on buying C the KURA bed from Ikea that he loves. Everytime we go to Ikea, he wants to play under it. I've showed him different things in the store, and he's picked out his bedding, and a rug. I also purchased those vinyl wall stickers (easily removable) that are so popular right now - he has Transformers for his room and he doesn't know I bought them, it will be a surprise. He LOVES Transformers. I plan on having it all set up when he arrives, 2 weeks after I do. And since we haven't ever been apart for more than a day at a time, I found an awesome little Lego necklace on Etsy.com that I plan on purchasing to make the separation easier. Two Lego bricks snap together to make a heart - perfect for a 5 year old boy!
As for myself, what I have done to prep for Japan is create a bunch of lists and get many things in order that probably should have been done years ago but I have somehow managed to neglect :) I took photographs of everything I own that is going into storage (don't forget to do this during Christmas too - before the decorations are all put away!), not only so I can remember when it comes time to move back, but also in case anything happens, I have an insurance catalog to prove I owned those items. I also have made sure I have an IRA set up as well as a 529 plan for C's college fund (though this has been in place for several years already - I made sure the contributions would be covered for the first few months of living abroad, until I am able to transfer some money home), and most importantly, a living will and trust.
I have researched and found a property management company that I will contact as soon as I know if I have been accepted into the program. They will take care of renting my house out to responsible tenants, take care of any issues or coordinate repairs and really, just make sure I don't have to worry about it while I'm in Japan. Best part is - I don't have to worry about selling the house in less than four months and I can make some extra money off of it while living in Japan.
Lists I've made: (and I guess this is my List of Lists?)
Packing list - by room
Shipping list - mostly foodstuffs that I want to make our transition easier and to give me time to find these items or similar items in Japan.
To do list before I rent out the house (paint, get carpets cleaned, change filters etc)
Ikea shopping list (okay, so this is a dream list)
Don't Forget to Change the Address lists (anything from magazines to Credit card bills - don't forget W-2's from previous employers!) Also, file a forwarding address at the post office.
Places to go in Japan List
Places to go before we leave list
...did I mention I like making lists? It helps me stay organized and not worry about the details ;)
Other things I have gathered or created are:
Budget - one for now to prepare for departure, one for when we are living in Japan, including a max budget for startup (furniture, kitchenwares etc...)to get my apartment feeling like a home.
Phone numbers, addresses, emails of everyone (though FB is always a good backup)
Recipe index - collection of digital recipes that we love along with sources for finding ingredients in Japan.
Digitize DVD collection - for when we are craving some English TV and having a movie night.
Goals - what I want to accomplish while in Japan, both to give and get out of the experience. Also, I've created a plan or goal for what I want to do when I get back to the USA.
Aaannnddd, last but definitely not the least - getting the cat into Japan is probably the most difficult and expensive part of the whole process! I will cover that in its own post because it's extensive. I never said moving halfway across the world would be easy! But it will definitely be worth it.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Introduction
Hello everyone,
I'm Kendra, nice to meet you. Thank you for taking some time to read my blog. I'm new at this so lets just say it will be a learning process. I'm a 30-year old single mom to an amazing 5-year old boy (referred to as C in this blog), and we love being outside, in the spring and fall. We live in Texas currently, it's too hot to go outside in the summer. I hope to share our experience of moving abroad, the ups and downs, and just to inform anyone who may be thinking of moving abroad. Whether a single-parent or not I hope you find our journey entertaining and informative. We have two possible futures at the moment, both of which will get me to my ultimate goal, just one will get me there faster than the other.
Current Life:
I like to plan. I make lists all the time, plan 6 months in advance and it drives me crazy when I don't know what I will be doing or where I will be living in 4 months time. (see possible futures below). Sigh. I just have to deal with it for a few more weeks. Maybe I'll make a list.... ;)
I work full time, and am trying to start my own Etsy business - shameless plug to come later when I have some products! ;) Customizable Birthday party kits and eventually wedding invitations and kits for all of the collateral that goes with it. I am a graphic designer, production artist, art buyer, party planner, DIY'er and I love Industrial Design. Someday I will combine all of them and work for myself full-time!
In our house we love legos and puzzles and we don't watch TV often, except for pizza and movie night, which is a favorite treat in our house. I have recently become very aware of how commercialized and unhealthy our food is, thanks to some great blogs (which I will link to if I can obtain permission) we have completely changed our eating habits. Though I'm not perfect, and am still trying to cut out soda, we have seen drastic improvements in how we feel. We call it Real food - meaning no processed-foods, organic when possible, and making things from scratch when we can't find good alternatives. Surprisingly this has actually saved us a lot of money on our grocery bills and allowed us to spend some quality time together because C likes to help in the kitchen.
Possible Future #1:
I recently interviewed for the 2013 JET program - it's stands for Japan Exchange Teaching Program. Basically it is living and working in Japan, teaching English to Japanese schoolchildren. I will find out in a few weeks if I got the job or not. I'm very excited for all the possibilities it holds for myself and my son. I should mention that I have lived in Japan before, working for a private English school chain. I take weekly lessons to continue learning Japanese, and in turn speak to my son in Japanese as much as possible. This is the future I hope we will have - it will give us amazing experiences, cultural understanding, a new language, and a broader world view, as well as get us to our ultimate goal in 5 years or less.
Possible Future #2:
Continue current life, try to stay sane through the summer heat, save money and move someplace where you probably can't bake cookies on your car dashboard (not joking!). You've heard of winter depression right? I swear in the sweltering TX summer you can get summer depression. It's never-ending! And before any native Texans get offended, let me just say, Texas is great for some people (i.e. my dad who loves it here)...I'm just not one of them, I can't handle the summers anymore. I'm from MN, I moved to TX when I was ten and if I could afford to move away before now I would have.
The Goal:
The goal is to live a simpler life, be able to work from home, and not have send my son to after school care. He has been in daycare since 6 weeks old...it makes me sad that I missed that time with him and his teachers see him more hours out of the day than I do, but I did what I had to do to make ends meet back then. Now we are in a more stable financial place, and working toward more quality time together. I want to be there to pick him up from school, help him with his homework, and be able to make dinner together while we talk about his day. This has never been so apparent to me as it is right now. I was laid off from my job of 4 years last month and have been home-schooling my son everyday and spending some amazing quality time together. I will fight for that Goal - quality time with my son. Everything I do from this day forward will be spent trying to get to this goal as fast as I can. I start a new job this week, one which I'm very excited about - and it will help me reach my goal, but going back to the 9-5, M-F routine will be hard on both of us after so much unstructured quality time together.
I will also start VLOGing (is that a verb?) on YouTube under the same 'Ready Set Family JET' name if we go to Japan. There isn't currently a lot of information on single parents living abroad in Japan - I hope to provide some inspiration and reassurance to future JET participants whether they be single parents or not.
Well there is my novel of an introduction. I hope you will find it interesting and check back to see how our future plays out!
I'm Kendra, nice to meet you. Thank you for taking some time to read my blog. I'm new at this so lets just say it will be a learning process. I'm a 30-year old single mom to an amazing 5-year old boy (referred to as C in this blog), and we love being outside, in the spring and fall. We live in Texas currently, it's too hot to go outside in the summer. I hope to share our experience of moving abroad, the ups and downs, and just to inform anyone who may be thinking of moving abroad. Whether a single-parent or not I hope you find our journey entertaining and informative. We have two possible futures at the moment, both of which will get me to my ultimate goal, just one will get me there faster than the other.
Current Life:
I like to plan. I make lists all the time, plan 6 months in advance and it drives me crazy when I don't know what I will be doing or where I will be living in 4 months time. (see possible futures below). Sigh. I just have to deal with it for a few more weeks. Maybe I'll make a list.... ;)
I work full time, and am trying to start my own Etsy business - shameless plug to come later when I have some products! ;) Customizable Birthday party kits and eventually wedding invitations and kits for all of the collateral that goes with it. I am a graphic designer, production artist, art buyer, party planner, DIY'er and I love Industrial Design. Someday I will combine all of them and work for myself full-time!
In our house we love legos and puzzles and we don't watch TV often, except for pizza and movie night, which is a favorite treat in our house. I have recently become very aware of how commercialized and unhealthy our food is, thanks to some great blogs (which I will link to if I can obtain permission) we have completely changed our eating habits. Though I'm not perfect, and am still trying to cut out soda, we have seen drastic improvements in how we feel. We call it Real food - meaning no processed-foods, organic when possible, and making things from scratch when we can't find good alternatives. Surprisingly this has actually saved us a lot of money on our grocery bills and allowed us to spend some quality time together because C likes to help in the kitchen.
Possible Future #1:
I recently interviewed for the 2013 JET program - it's stands for Japan Exchange Teaching Program. Basically it is living and working in Japan, teaching English to Japanese schoolchildren. I will find out in a few weeks if I got the job or not. I'm very excited for all the possibilities it holds for myself and my son. I should mention that I have lived in Japan before, working for a private English school chain. I take weekly lessons to continue learning Japanese, and in turn speak to my son in Japanese as much as possible. This is the future I hope we will have - it will give us amazing experiences, cultural understanding, a new language, and a broader world view, as well as get us to our ultimate goal in 5 years or less.
Possible Future #2:
Continue current life, try to stay sane through the summer heat, save money and move someplace where you probably can't bake cookies on your car dashboard (not joking!). You've heard of winter depression right? I swear in the sweltering TX summer you can get summer depression. It's never-ending! And before any native Texans get offended, let me just say, Texas is great for some people (i.e. my dad who loves it here)...I'm just not one of them, I can't handle the summers anymore. I'm from MN, I moved to TX when I was ten and if I could afford to move away before now I would have.
The Goal:
The goal is to live a simpler life, be able to work from home, and not have send my son to after school care. He has been in daycare since 6 weeks old...it makes me sad that I missed that time with him and his teachers see him more hours out of the day than I do, but I did what I had to do to make ends meet back then. Now we are in a more stable financial place, and working toward more quality time together. I want to be there to pick him up from school, help him with his homework, and be able to make dinner together while we talk about his day. This has never been so apparent to me as it is right now. I was laid off from my job of 4 years last month and have been home-schooling my son everyday and spending some amazing quality time together. I will fight for that Goal - quality time with my son. Everything I do from this day forward will be spent trying to get to this goal as fast as I can. I start a new job this week, one which I'm very excited about - and it will help me reach my goal, but going back to the 9-5, M-F routine will be hard on both of us after so much unstructured quality time together.
I will also start VLOGing (is that a verb?) on YouTube under the same 'Ready Set Family JET' name if we go to Japan. There isn't currently a lot of information on single parents living abroad in Japan - I hope to provide some inspiration and reassurance to future JET participants whether they be single parents or not.
Well there is my novel of an introduction. I hope you will find it interesting and check back to see how our future plays out!
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