Interac Pre-Training: Your First Lesson Prep

The end of training!
The end of training! Still alive!

UPDATE 03/18/16: So not all branches do the pre-lesson thing. You lucky ducks don’t have to worry about this!

When Interac hires you, a few weeks before your departure date they email you a few assignments. Lucky you! I was given a Continue reading

The Great East Japan Earthquake-5 Years Later

Japanese flag at half mast on 3/11
Japanese flag at half mast on 3/11

March 11, 2011 may not be a date that means anything to most of you. Maybe it’s a birthday or perhaps an anniversary. A day like any other. But for Japan, March 11th marks the day when families were suddenly torn apart, communities were destroyed, and life would never be the same again. Continue reading

6 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Coming to Japan

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Torii gates in Sapporo

Ever do something and realize your expectations were so completely different from the truth they weren’t even in the same orbit? Yeah, that was me moving to Japan. And while some of that can be attributed to the fact that it was also my first time ever leaving the U.S., a lot of it is just stuff that all the YouTube videos and blogs in the world can’t prepare you for. This is a list of some of the things just like that! Continue reading

The Top 8 Things I’ll Miss About Japan

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Kashima Shrine, Ibaraki, Japan

Having lived in Japan for two years now, there are many things about the country and culture that I’ve grown very attached to and that have become a part of my everyday life. It’ll be strange having to revert to being an American in America! So I thought I’d share with you just a few of the mile long list of things that I love about Japan, and that I’ll miss the most when I go home. Continue reading

How to Turn Dreams into Goals-Video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXHgN39Hc4E

Hey all!

So this video is a continuation of my previous post 100 Life Goals- Why You Need Goals In Your Life and explains in more detail how to create the attainable, measurable goals I encourage you to turn your dreams into!

As well as an example of me creating this weeks “Weekly Goal” of trying to wake up at a decent hour (though let’s be honest, anything is going to be better than the time I roll out of bed right now!).

Thanks so much for watching and let me know what you think of this video! It was very entertaining to make, sitting in front of a camera is unusual for me! Subscribe, comment and tell me what your goal is!

Have a great day! Dream big, work hard and live well! <3

Thoughts on Leaving Japan and How I Hate Change

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This is the official EverywhereToBeFound announcement that I’ll be leaving Japan and moving back to California sometime in early April 2016. I’ve put up a moving checklist for people in the same boat and for people who are curious about what it takes to move back to your home country after moving here (hint: it’s a lot of work!). But I didn’t originally announce anything earlier for a few reasons. Continue reading

Before Coming to Japan-Things You Should Know

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Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto

Now that I’ve put out there the things you should and should not bring to Japan, my personal to-do list before moving to Japan, and most recently the 6 things you should do before moving to Japan, and now that I’ve shamelessly plugged in links to my other posts for you to read and enjoy I feel it’s time to share with you a few things that I would have wanted to know before my move here. Continue reading

6 Things to Do Before Moving to Japan

 

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Mt. Fuji from the Shinkansen

So you’re moving to Japan! You’ve been hired, you’ve read, signed and mailed every bit of paperwork and by now you might also have even Googled every bit of information about your new home the internet possesses reaching back into its darkest corners.

But what now? You still have a few months to while away the time before your adventure starts and you’ve already memorized the Street View of your entire town with a 50km radius! Continue reading

100 Life Goals- Why You Need Goals in Your Life

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The Great Wall of China

So you’ve finally made it! You’ve saved and worked and sweat and worked some more, done all the research, and you’re there. Your dream-turned-goal has been realized! Congratulations!

But what happens next? This has been plaguing me in those quiet moments before you fall asleep and those stolen minutes you take a step back to breathe during your day.

What do you do once you’ve reached your goal? Continue reading

How to Teach a Speech- Going to the Ibaraki Prefecture English Speech Competition!

Ibaraki English Speech Contest!
Ibaraki English Speech Contest!

Every year in Kasama City, Jr. High students from all over Ibaraki come together with their teachers and their ALT’s to present their own unique 5-minute speech. This year 78 students participated, split into 2 groups. Continue reading