Not-So-Temporary Insanity

[unforth]

Well, first, I'm back from Chicago and installed at home with the pup once more. The trip was fun, and I'm sure I'll write about it more later, but for now, I think (getting more certain by the day) that I've decided what I'm doing with the next year. I think I'm crazy, and I think that that's alright.


When I started undergrad, I wanted to be a translator. In order to accomplish this, one of those "life plan" things that never go quite the way you expect was that I'd go to Japan for about a year right after I finished undergrad.

Flash forward seven years. For various reasons, this didn't happen, and I thought I had moved on. Two and a half weeks ago, I half-joked to schenker28 that it was something I could do now if I still wanted to, but I didn't really want. A week and a half after that, I said the same thing much more seriously to my mother.

Three days ago, it dawned on me that that wasn't a joke at all - I really, actually COULD go if I wanted to. I have the time, I have a job that will follow me anywhere I go that will pay enough that I could afford to live (albeit, in Japan's economy, INCREDIBLY modestly), and I have only one responsibility that can't really come with me, and multiple potential ways to handle even that problem (the Jonie pup would have to be quarantined for 180 days to come with me; I won't do that to her).

Two days ago, I started thinking that this was a damned good idea.

Yesterday, I bought a book about what this would actually entail. ("Live and Work...in Japan")

This morning, I started reading the book, and am about half way done with it now (in between doing all of the other things I had to accomplish today, like taking my car in to the shop).

At the moment, I'm rather sleep deprived and tired. So maybe I'll look back tomorrow and decide this is sheer insanity and should be aborted immediately.

I think I'm gonna shove my things in storage, pack a suit case and a couple of boxes, get my hands on a travel visa, and go live in Japan for a year. If one of those boxes contains my graduation present (a collection of basic binding equipment) I can still get my skills together to apply to NBSS next April, but instead of sitting around either doing basically nothing in Bloomington or working some mindless entry level conservation job for a year, I can go and do something totally and completely awesome that I'll probably never have another opportunity to try.

There are some dangly bits that will need to be sorted out, of course...

But I think I'm gonna do it. :)

(and yes, I'm giving the finer points a great deal more thought than this rather impulsive sounding post might suggest. I spent most of yesterday and today considering finer points. The thing is, if I really want to do this, I can't wait, things like visas take time to get. :) )


Yay?

Edit: In other news, my plans to start exercising daily as soon as I got back from Chicago have been manifestly damaged by an inexplicable but rather painful ankle injury. It's rather difficult to do most forms of aerobic exercise when your ankle throbs in pain every step after about 10 minutes of activity. Grrrr. I wish the pool was open, at least then I could swim. grrrrr.

Comments

[akashiver.livejournal.com]

Working in Japan?! *envy*

My brother has some contacts over there. I could put you in touch, if needs be.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Contacts will be helpful. I know somewhere between one and three people over there (two of my friends did JET but I haven't been in touch with them since so I don't know if they are still there; another friend is in the navy and is definitely in Japan) ...but I'm not worrying about such things yet, I'm still at the "Wait, is this really feasible?" stage of planning. :)

[kniedzw.livejournal.com]

Wow.

Well, that's not something I'd have expected, but if you end up doing it, that'd be cool. Good luck. :)

Likewise, I've some friends who have been to Japan and who might be able to put you in touch with some expats there.

Did you have any ideas on where you were thinking of living in Japan?

...and did Sara give you the nifty pieces of paper from the cast party?

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Sara did give me the nifty pieces of paper, or rather they were left on my bed for me to discover when I got home. I'll admit, immodestly I suppose, that the over all Changeling game one for Dino and Kathryn didn't surprise me all that much. However, I was truly shocked by the second, and very flattered. :)

I think this plan would be a surprise to most people who've only met me within the last few years; it's a plan which, as I said, I gave up for a variety of reasons not worth going in to. However, it was something I talked about a lot when I was in my senior year of HS and my freshman year of college.

As to locations, I haven't fully decided yet. I'm not yet sure what I'm going to be doing about a job there, and that will have a big effect. If I get a job there for a year, then I will live where ever the job is. However, if I can find a way to justify a visa without employment (ie by being a student or figuring out a way to claim I'm there studying traditional Japanese binding techniques - which would be an awesome thing to go do... - I'll probably move around a bit. I'd far prefer to be in one of the big cities, either way, though I'm not too terribly picky about which big city. Of course, Tokyo or Kyoto would totally rock. :)

[mistress-sin.livejournal.com]

Japan??? Damn . . .

I say go for it. You only live this life once and I remember you talking about the Japan thing previously (though not for a full year) and it seemed something you were really wanting to do.

P.S. I have a graduation present for you but I can't find your address. (I think I packed it by accident -.-') Can you email it to me? Hopefully you don't have it already or I will cry.

A lot.

*huggles*

[unforth.livejournal.com]

....a present? for me? ee!
1407 Fenbrook Lane
Bloomington, IN 47401

I did just realize one potential snafu for this plan...hun, when is your wedding??

[mistress-sin.livejournal.com]

You are safe . . . we've been rethinking our wedding plans and have pushed it back another year. I'll email you our idea. It's actually kind of cute and such.

[schenker28.livejournal.com]

Wow -- sounds like a pretty wild plan, but I approve. There's the usual yadda yadda about selfishly not wanting my friend to leave B-town, but I'm totally excited for you if you can make it work out. I was in Japantown in San Francisco yesterday and thought about how you'd probably love it, and actual Japan would be so much better.

I don't know why you think that people who met you in the last couple years would be surprised -- I can totally imagine you doing this and having a blast. I wish I could think of good reasons to convince you that it's a bad idea, but I can't :(

What are your potential plans for jonie-dog?

The hardest thing about France was me being introverted, which made communicating and making friends a bit difficult. That's my worry about possibly living in France again too. But I think you'd have an easier time with that sort of thing.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Well, there are a few possibilities for the Jonie pup. I know of four people I might be able to convince to take her in for the year. You're one of them; the others are my uncle, grandfather and, much less likely, my brother. If none of those people can do it, I'll have more of a problem; I'll ask around my other friends - mistress_sin, I believe, once suggested to me she could take in the pup if necessary. If none of them can, then I'll probably have to put her up for adoption, but I'll avoid this if at all possible, some how. I really wouldn't want to do that.

In a related matter, how do you feel about driving my car for a year? :)

[schenker28.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely a possibility... I was thinking about it after reading your original post because I figure I'll miss both you and Jonie if you leave. So I'll be considering it -- we'll talk and stuff. And you know I love your car :)

I asked my friend here about it and he suggested thinking of just going for 6 months on an easier-to-get visa if you trouble with being there a whole year. I don't know how easy/hear it is to be there for a year, but that's another idea.

I hope your ankle gets better soon!

[schenker28.livejournal.com]

P.S. you were the person who wanted sourdough bread from SF, right? Or am I crazy??

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Yes! Sour dough! Yum!!

As to Visa lengths, from what I can tell 6 months and 1 year are about the same degree of difficulty to get; 3 months is automatic. I'd say the Visa part is what I'm most worried about right now. I guess at worst I only go for three months...I wonder how long before they let you go back? I could go for three months, come back for the holidays, and then go back... ;)

[ultimabaka.livejournal.com]

Coupla things
(a) The best experiences come from shit you just threw yourself into. I wish I was better at doing that.
(b) Why can't you try something like Jet if you needed an excuse to get a work visa out there? There are plenty of places out there that'll take you, no matter how stupid you've become ;)
(c) In a different universe, I'd be like "I'll get a transfer to the Japan office if you go out there!" I remember speaking to Widy once upon a time about the possibility of going out there for a while, and her response was like "why would I want to go to a country where the people think I'm sub-human?" So much for living out there with her...hehe. But if I lose the Widy...*snicker*

*huggle* Lemme know what comes from this crazy idea of yours ne?
-- Gerardo

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I'll be posting about it in LJ, I expect. The reason I can't do JET is because it's on a very set time frame and has very strict acceptance procedures...and applications are due in January. However, there are LOADS of other ways to teach English in Japan. I'm thinking about trying to get one of the less formal positions - a lot of places want someone to run classes for adults or teenagers which run after work/school and are more casual, and I think that sounds nice, plus it's not full time - it's like 3000 yen an hour for a two hours a day a few days a week. Since I don't fully need the money - I'll keep working for mom - it'd be a good way to get the Visa without overloading myself.

(can you tell I've read the chapter on employment since the last time I posted? :) )

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Is it all right by you if I send this to kurayami_hime? She's lived in Japan twice, and might have some useful information/assistance for you.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

That'd be fine with me. I think I'm gonna need advice. :)

[kurayami-hime.livejournal.com]

I've lived in Tokyo and Gifu (in the middle), I've been over on a work visa, a cultural activities visa, and as a tourist. If you have any questions about visas, daily living, or how to make toast in your microwave, I would be more than happy to answer them.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

That would be great! I definitely have questions about visas, in particular...I'd rather chat by e-mail, though, it's much easier - my addy is unforth @ yahoo.com, feel free to drop me a note, I usually respond fairly promptly... (except to poor mistress_sin, sorry hun!)

[bakanekotoo.livejournal.com]

Wow! Living in Japan for a year sounds like an awesome idea! :-) I'm sorry about your ankle though.. I hope it feels better soon :-\

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Thanks! On both counts! My ankle still hurts, but I decided yesterday that I didn't care, and started my exercise regime anyway, and it seemed to work out, an hour of DDR didn't totally cripple me. :)

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

I have a friend who lives off-base in Okinawa, should that become helpful.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

It might be! Thanks! :)