2.2.09 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
2.3.09 Central Japan International Airport (NGO)
I am forty-five days away from being an ex-pat again. I have been slowly getting everything ready for my trip, including buying a new laptop, suits, shirts, ties, cuff links, shoes, etc. I am preparing to make my formal goodbyes and compile a huge list of contact information. But, honestly, it is hard to explain how I landed myself in this position to begin with.
Like any good story, this too has a beginning.
One day in September, right before Hurricane Gustav, I was sitting on my father's couch job-hunting. I moved to Dallas, TX in an attempt to be closer to Austin so when the opportunity to relocate presented itself, I could easily pack up and head down. Unlike Baton Rouge, Austin is a great hub for artists. As a graduate of theatre from Louisiana State University, I was going to begin my formal career in the theatre there. While searching for a temporary solution I came across an advertisement to work in Japan teaching English.
Normally I would have passed it up, but three factors persuaded me to look into it. First, I really didn't have anything better to do than work in Japan. Seriously. I have been out of school since 2006 and the job market for theatre majors is much smaller than it should be, considering the widely-varied skills we learn from public speaking to carpentry. Second, I wanted to direct the Shakespearean tragedy/bloodbath Titus Andronicus with a Japanese aesthetic and the only way to research Japanese drama that is better than renting movies from the local public library is to actually live in Japan. Finally, I may be addicted to travel and the itch was rising.
As of September 20, I had signed a contract and became an employee with the GEOS company, an eikaiwa (English conversation school) with over 500 locations in Japan. A McDonald's of English conversation if you will.
As of December 5, I learned that I will be living in a city called Hamamatsu, the largest city in the Shizuoka prefecture, in the Chūbu region on the main island of Honshu. Translation, equally two hours from both Tokyo and Kyoto and an hour southeast of Nagoya.
As of December 17, I know I will be flying out on February 2nd to arrive February 3rd at 19:00.
As my associate Nate always reminds me: take it one day at a time. So, I will. And I will document those days here, just to share my world with my family who I will undoubtedly miss. I am glad we have been down this road before when I went to England and I still cannot believe how much love and support I've gotten from such a radical decision. If there is one thing I've learned as an ex-pat, home is a state of mind. And with the supportive people I have in my life, I will always take a piece of home with me everywhere I go.
And just like that, I am blogging again.
