It's been a busy summer as I have hurried to wrap things up at one job, get ready to start a new one, and at the same time deal with a large-scale mold problem and prepare for a move (next week). Mixed in with all of my goodbye speeches and parties were the goodbyes to the friends who are leaving Japan to go back to their own countries. It happens every year but it is always hard to say goodbye! This year I won the awful "Staying Forever" sash but I can appreciate the JOKE and took it in stride. I don't want to stay forever, that is for sure! My sash was nothing compared to Angie's, "So hot!"
I decided a while ago to wrap up my blog at the end of this month. It's been four years now since I moved to Japan as an ALT, and a lot of the novelty has worn off. Not only is my teaching job finishing tomorrow, but I have run out of new and fun things to do and post about on a regular basis... the past few months have been pretty pitiful. I haven't always done a great job of staying in touch with everyone at home since starting this blog, but now I'll have no excuse not to call and email more often. If you don't already know where to find my pictures online, just ask.
A few weeks ago I had the brilliant idea about how to write my last blog post. I've gotten so used to bugs and creepy crawlies in Japan that it would be disingenuous to continue my Japan blog under the current name, I thought. Oh, how I misled myself! Just days after my great idea I had a run-in with a large huntsman spider on my head and face that sent me flailing and screaming like a lunatic right back into my scaredy-cat ways. I guess I have really come full circle from my first night in my new apartment 4 years ago when I found an even bigger huntsman on my wall and wondered what I was doing in such an awful, bug-infested place.
I don't know when I will be heading home (maybe next summer?) but I know one thing for sure. As long as there are bugs in Japan, I will NOT be staying forever!
