Hello World

This is the blog of a 20-something born-and-raised Phoenician, joining the likes of the 1.5% foreign population in the Land of the Rising Sun.

In 2007 I fled heartache and took refuge from the unforgiving eternal summers of the Arizona desert in the quirky, rainy city of Seattle. It was there I pursued my studies in Japanese at the University of Washington, and it was also there that I met some of the greatest people I never knew had been missing from my life, from the world over.
After graduating in 2011, one of my Besties and I took the plunge and hopped a plane across the Pacific, with no job prospects and a limited amount of savings, willing fate to lead us right. It was then that I started this blog, and have since continued chronicling the ups and downs of our crazy lives as foreigners in this weird but wonderful country.

For two years I worked at a daycare in Saitama, and enjoyed every moment of it. I worked alongside licensed caregivers as an English "teacher" to the kids, and watched a majority of them grow over the two years from drooling, babbling, too-darned-cute little baby blobs to real walking, talking, amazing little people.  I also had my services exploited at probably one of the more terrible companies you could happen across, but came out of it having been moved by some of my wonderful kids, as well as adding some more amazing friends to my life.

And now, I have settled in Kyoto, arguably the best city in the country. For a year I furthered my language study at a Japanese language school, continued onto a job in real estate, and am still on a quest to find myself.
I love languages. I love words and writing, and while I may not be the best at it, that doesn't stop me from enjoying it.
So now we'll see where this chapter of life takes me.  If you're interested in Japan, or traveling or foreign countries in general, or just like reading about other people's lives, read on and enjoy.