Start Up

The day that Joel starts teaching is finally drawing closer. With only two days before he starts, I can tell he's experiencing a few butterflies here and there but his personality holds true. He always stays pretty calm and collected when it comes to business matters. He has completed all of his orientations, introductions, and meeting and it's time to meet his fellow teachers and the children. We've arrived at this moment with much anticipation and it hasn't been without it's stresses. The process of being picked and hired happened effortlessly but the start up of this new life hasn't been a picnic. The technicalities that we have to sort through are immense and often times seem endless to me and I wasn't even here for the whole amount of them! Figuring out a new apartment system, utilities system, banking system etc. has been quite the adaption. However Joel has weaved us through this uncertain time with great ease and it seems as if he's been made for this. After all he has traveled around and can easily adapt to other situations. 

When I arrived we had to visit the ward office to announce my arrival and give them copies of our marriage certificate as well as declare I'm here as his dependent. Although Joel studied Japanese extensively, this was something stressful for him because he had to speak totally in Japanese for this. He did wonderfully and didn't miss a beat! However I know he was a little shaken up due to the fact that he isn't used to using words and verbs that are involved in business matters and are more formal. One thing that I have noticed since I've been here and Joel has always told me about is the Japanese mentality of modesty. They are very modest no matter what is in question. Whether it be their craft, skill, their looks, or just paying them compliments they except the admiration graciously and are extremely humble throughout. Joel has always been modest, but he embodies someone who has a true passion for a culture. He has taken on this mentality of modesty and humbleness. When I congratulated him on his big accomplishment, after all he did manage to get us through this big task, he just blushed and told me things he could have done better. I don't think he could have been any more successful! His skills continue to impress and surprise me everyday. 

I am actually an extremely private person when it comes to my finances however, as any of you could probably guess it's not the simplest and cheapest thing to move across the world! Financially it has been stressful because it seems like expenses are endless your first month, and you also don't know what to expect your checks and bills to be like yet. Joel and I have gone through financial check lists and budgets a million times but ultimately the stress doesn't diminish and you never feel completely secure. I'm sure everyone can relate because this is not anything new and I think no matter how much money you earn you always feel the same way! However just when I think we are definitely going to be in the hole for the month, miraculously we're provided for once again. We have to remember to have faith and know everything will be okay no matter how grim it looks at the time. We have managed to wiggle our way through situations such as this before and have made quite an adventurous life for ourselves. Joel has felt somewhat guilty about this and has said "I can always get a second job." I said "Absolutely not, you have to enjoy your time here and we'll figure it out no matter what." I can understand his guilt and I know he feels like he has to be the provider. When he came to me a little down about this I explained to him that he actually has provided in the best way for us. He provided for us this once in a lifetime opportunity with experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. He provided the wonderful opportunity for us to further bond by seeing and experiencing fascinating cultural rituals, historic sights, and seeing new places for the first time together. I said to him, "I vowed for richer or for poorer remember?" And that's exactly what I meant! I'm rich in many different ways now.   

Crossing Over

I awoke at 1:30 am Indiana time on August 9th, 2013 to start preparing for my long journey to Japan. My day was filled with 3 different flights, teary goodbyes with my sister, mother, and grandmother as well as struggling with two large suitcases and a carry on suitcase. One of my suitcases weighed 82 lbs, which I can attribute to being extremely over prepared with toiletries. I'm not sure if I thought I wouldn't be able to get my beloved Estee Lauder serum or favorite Redkin shampoo here in Japan, but I knew I had gone overboard when the Delta associate checking my bag gasped at the weigh meter and told me "This is going to cost you an arm and a leg!" She then proceeded to almost fall over when lifting it from the scale to the conveyer belt. 

 After my goodbyes to my mom, who is one of my closest friends, and my grandmother who is near and dear to my heart I was able to pick myself up and move onto a different phase in my life. Walking away seemed very monumental and symbolic to me since I have never been away from home. I told my mom "I'm on my own now" while crying joyful and sad tears. It all seems very cliche, but it is one of those moments in life that you never forget. Several tissues later, I passed through security with flying colors and managed to get a cafe mocha from Starbucks while heading to my gate. Despite exhaustion and battling the effects of severe insomnia from the night before, I couldn't even drink my coffee due to anticipation and excitement. After the initial stress from the separation wore off, I was excited for my journey and relieved that I would be reunited with my husband shortly.

I had layovers in Minneapolis and Seattle which were a breeze. I was a bit anxious about going through customs in Japan by myself, however I felt a new sense of empowerment while traveling by myself! The independence was fantastic and made me realize I can do this! Before boarding my flight to Seattle, I was forced to check my carry on luggage because the overhead bins were incredibly small. Although I clarified with the associate about five times that my bag would make it to my final destination, I had a gut instinct that my bag wouldn't make the trek with me to Japan. I was later proven right when collecting my luggage in Osaka. I was blessed with two enjoyable flights which brought me to Seattle. Upon arrival in the Emerald City, I charted my way to my international gate where I was met with many Japanese citizens making their way back home. This sight absolutely filled my heart with joy and brought a big smile to my face because everyone that I encountered was incredibly kind and sensible which is a rarity to find while facing a long flight. 

When I was boarding my flight, I was thoroughly surprised that I could pick up some of the dialect being spoken. Of course there were only a few words I knew, but I was proud of myself for picking it up based on hearing Joel talk. The flight was rather enjoyable for the first 5 hours. I watched Wizard of Oz, The Croods, listened to The Beatles, and listened to "Your Song" by Elton John about a million times because it makes me think of Joel. I was reflecting back on all the times Joel whisked me around the kitchen dancing with me. One of my favorite things to do with Joel is dance, so while he was in Japan I expressed to him how much I missed that. Being the romantic that he is, he picked me up over Facetime, put on a slow tune, and danced with me via the internet. How lovely. 

The first 5 hours of my flight were great, followed up by the last 5 which were completely miserable. I became incredibly stiff from about 10 hours total of crummy plane seats I had endured already. I watched minute by minute and mile by mile pass by on my small personal t.v. screen. Realizing that this was going to put me over the brink of insanity I decided to pull out my Travel and Leisure magazine I had bought in Minneapolis. Turning through the pages, I found the source that would revive my enthusiasm. Kyoto was voted #2 city in all of Asia and #5 in the whole world by Travel and Leisure and their readers. How awesome! I am going to be living in one of the best cities in the world!

I soon landed in Osaka, Japan where I would then navigate my way through the airport and into customs. There I collected my residence card, which basically acts as my identification and passport while in Japan. I then found my way to baggage claim where I was greeted with a sign on the conveyer belt that read "Natalie Jean Crabtree see a flight specialist." I then knew for sure that my carry on had been left in the states. I was however happy that my worst nightmare of my 82 lb bag ripping at the seams and spewing cosmetics and skincare all over the airport runway wasn't realized! I was thoroughly impressed with the wonderful customer service I received from a sweet Japanese woman who helped me with my luggage issue. She even took me through customs which was a relief. 

She walked me through a set of automatic double doors where I glanced around until I met eyes with my husband. We were reunited once again. Despite fatigue from my 28 hour travel day, the possibilities for the year ran through my head and love filled my heart as we made our way to our apartment and our new lives. Home is where Joel is.

Fear of the Unknown

One of the main problems that I have encountered time and time again during the JET process is my tendency to want to plan and control the process. I have always had the predisposition that I need to lead the way and somewhat control what is going on out of fear that someone else might lead me astray. As I have mentioned before in previous posts, the process of being accepted and hired as a JET is a lengthy process, and one that you absolutely cannot control aside from your application and interview. It takes patience and faith, something that is hard to process for a worrier and planner. However, somewhere along this journey I have gained the knowledge to harness the power of positive thought, how to relinquish power and have faith in the process and in myself, and to stop believing I can plan everything and take things one day at a time. All of these things are new concepts to me and will take strength to implement in my future, however all of them can be life-changing to myself and to others if you just let them. 

Something that I never got used to while telling people that I would be soon moving to Japan was their response. I would receive many "Aren't you scared?" comments or "I could never do that, you are so brave!" It didn't matter if I was at work talking with customers, in meetings, talking to family members, or even friends, someone would usually hit me with one of those responses. The first few times maybe I would respond with "Well, should I be scared?" But then I realized why they were saying this to me, they were fearful of the unknown. I often wonder how many beautiful opportunities are brought into people's lives and they turn them down out of fear. It's okay to proceed with caution. However, when the universe is trying to propel you into the next phrase of your life don't let fear of the unknown rob you of the tremendous gift of adventure. Let faith take over and let yourself go, something that I am thankful I did. 

Lovely picture of Mt. Fuji, possibly one of the biggest adventures to be had in Japan