ひさしぶり!

It’s been over 20 days since my last post – I think my longest hiatus yet. I’ve been pretty busy lately, and also haven’t been sure of what to write about – not necessarily because there’s nothing to write about, but more because there’s too much to write about.

Although I may have insinuated it, I don’t think I’ve made an official statement on this blog about my leaving Japan. I opted not to re-contract for a second year and will be returning to Vancouver August 20th and then attending a wedding celebration on the 21st. The biggest reason for my not re-contracting is that I’ve been living away from my girlfriend for almost a year now, and the prospect of going through another year apart is too much. There is a reason why many couples who plan on continuing a long-distance relationship end up re-evaluating themselves and each other; it’s not a practical way to build a life together. The relationship issues aside, professionally, I’m also interested in getting a job that is more long-term career oriented.

Otherwise, my year on with the JET Programme will probably always be one of the best things that I’ve ever done with my life. I hope that this blog will serve as somewhat of a testament to this. I originally set a goal of reaching 200 posts by the time that I leave, but it looks like I will fall a bit short.

I originally had very little idea of what this blog would be about when I first came to Japan. Part of the reason was I had very little idea of what to expect in Japan. In the broadest terms, this blog has been a record of my life living and working in Japan. From this point however, it will be about me getting ready to leave Japan and to return to Vancouver.

I’ve been trying to make the most of my last few weeks here in Japan. This last weekend, I spent in Tokyo. Here’s a random photo I took in Ebisu today.