JET countdown
I never thought it'd happen: spring has come to Toyama. According to the obsessive national cherry blossom forecast Toyama should be in full bloom in 2 weeks time. Has it really been a year since I got back from China to find all my colleagues changed over (I still see the current teachers as "new"), my desk changed, and all my little 6th graders turned into studious junior high students? It's happening again. Deja vu
This time though spring brings with it a harsh reality I can no longer evade. I'm on a downward run to the end of my JET contract. Four months! and not a clue where I'll be. It's rather terrifying.
Here are my options as I see it:
1. Stay in Japan. This would mean finding a job in the city unrelated to teaching. Not an easy task considering I've let my Japanese skills rot to nothing since graduating. Seriously, you'd be surprise what you lose when you're academically unmotivated. That and I think Japan and I need some time apart. No offense Japan.
2. Go back to the US, find a job to pay the bills. When I'm this general I can't lose. Still though, it'd be nice to have some kind of career goal in mind so I know I won't end up waitressing the rest of my life. And where would I go? Nothing left for me in Minnesota. The northwest perhaps? I liked it well enough as a student and it seems to suit me.
3. Go back to the US, enter grad school. uuuuuugh. If I'm going back to school it's art or nothing. What focus? What school? I really shouldn't be taking out any more loans after the hole undergrad put me in.
4. Study or work abroad. I like this option but it's not very realistic. Think I need to do some serious thinking about what I wanna do before any more globe trotting. sigh.
In the mean time I set out to make the most of my remaining time here. Here are some realistic goals I've set down for myself:
* Revise resume
* Try to cook more
* Distribute random junk I brought from home.
* Dink around with photoshop and illustrator
* Exercise. Stretch.
* Finish wall mural (a project I embarked on last year and abandoned)
* Make effort at Japanese improvement
* Create more art for potential portfolio
* Produce somethin' resembling a future plan
I already ensured a more fulfilling job as an ALT these next few months by requesting a bulletin board to decorate, my own elective English classes, and a club (which I fought for last year and lost). This semester should be anything but dull.
This time though spring brings with it a harsh reality I can no longer evade. I'm on a downward run to the end of my JET contract. Four months! and not a clue where I'll be. It's rather terrifying.
Here are my options as I see it:
1. Stay in Japan. This would mean finding a job in the city unrelated to teaching. Not an easy task considering I've let my Japanese skills rot to nothing since graduating. Seriously, you'd be surprise what you lose when you're academically unmotivated. That and I think Japan and I need some time apart. No offense Japan.
2. Go back to the US, find a job to pay the bills. When I'm this general I can't lose. Still though, it'd be nice to have some kind of career goal in mind so I know I won't end up waitressing the rest of my life. And where would I go? Nothing left for me in Minnesota. The northwest perhaps? I liked it well enough as a student and it seems to suit me.
3. Go back to the US, enter grad school. uuuuuugh. If I'm going back to school it's art or nothing. What focus? What school? I really shouldn't be taking out any more loans after the hole undergrad put me in.
4. Study or work abroad. I like this option but it's not very realistic. Think I need to do some serious thinking about what I wanna do before any more globe trotting. sigh.
In the mean time I set out to make the most of my remaining time here. Here are some realistic goals I've set down for myself:
* Revise resume
* Try to cook more
* Distribute random junk I brought from home.
* Dink around with photoshop and illustrator
* Exercise. Stretch.
* Finish wall mural (a project I embarked on last year and abandoned)
* Make effort at Japanese improvement
* Create more art for potential portfolio
* Produce somethin' resembling a future plan
I already ensured a more fulfilling job as an ALT these next few months by requesting a bulletin board to decorate, my own elective English classes, and a club (which I fought for last year and lost). This semester should be anything but dull.
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