6 months after returning to Canada from Japan

Hisashiburi! Really, really, long time no see. It’s been 6 months since the end of JET. Can you believe it? Sorry, I have not kept in touch as much as I would have liked. I feel extremely guilty. The past 6 months have been an interesting transition from Japan and my life there and I haven’t felt much like emailing. I didn’t think it would be quite so difficult readjusting after two years, but maybe that was naive on my part. So as part of my catching up, here is my “life in review” for the past 6 months. Feel free to share your own life in review. I’d love to hear from you.

August 2004

Ivy and I completed our trip across Canada. I hung out @ home with Ivy and friends. Grandma #1 developed serious health problems, hospitalized.

September 2004

With no apparent back-up plan for my life, and resources dwindling, I was depressed and confused about my future plans, so I spent some time with my grandmas learning to cook. I also found an Aikido club and started practicing again twice a week and joined a ball hockey team. Unfortunately, my soccer skills I let slide. I spent the rest of the month attending beer festivals, partying and driving up to my cabin to think about my life goals. Also, became officially a fish-atarian.

October 2004

Grandma #2 (Irish one) deteriorates rapidly, diagnosed with severe Dementia and needs lots of TLC from the family (very stressful). I started dating my friend Shane (Sparky) from Minnedosa, Manitoba, near Charlene’s town of Erickson. Anyone who can sew and wear his own spandex costume for Halloween is ok with me. He is a Computer Engineer, a surfer, takes yoga, cooks excellent vegetarian food, likes basketball and hockey, and treats me like a princess. What more could I ask for! Unable to resist travelling again, I flew to Calgary for a weekend with a friend and went to a Wine Tasting conference. Then I participated in a Returning JET Seminar in Vancouver to help me set some goals. I felt much better afterwards, maybe because despite my own problems, most of the people there were having more trouble than I was readjusting to Life After JET. Feeling like I had too much time on my hands to think, I enrolled in Jazz Dance classes to try and finally learn how to dance. However, I am not sure if I succeeded.

November 2004

Neil came to visit for a few days from Japan, but unfortunately, I was feeling really sick. After he left, I had tests done and low and behold I had Glandular Fever or Mono (Yes, I know this is a 14 yr. old’s kissing disease, but honestly, I don’t know any 14 yr. olds and if I did, I wouldn’t be kissing them). It’s still a mystery how I caught it. I spent the next 3 weeks housebound, from bed to couch, to bathroom, to bed. I couldn’t eat for a few weeks and I was so tired I could barely move. I slept a lot, and watched a lot of CSI and SpongBob Square Pants, much to my family’s dismay. Unfortunately, I also had a swollen liver and spleen, so that prohibited any sports in case of rupture, but that also left me bored, tired, and due to my contagious state, without many visitors. Very depressing as well.

December 2004

Able to function, but tired beyond belief, I headed to NZ mid-December for a wedding. Originally, I was supposed to meet up with Ivy and travel with her around the North Island for a few weeks, but she headed home early due to homesickness, so with my flight already booked and a case of Glandular Fever, I headed to my friend’s house in Dunedin to help with wedding arrangements and to relax. I spent Xmas with her and had a low-key New Year’s Eve watching fireworks. Unfortunately my bad weather curse followed me to NZ and they had the coldest summer in 60 years. Sigh.

January 2005

The Wedding was a (cold, damp) success, but after all the work involved and the intense family squabbling that happened around me, I’ve decided that if I ever marry I will be eloping to Vegas to get married by a fat Elvis. Honestly! I concluded my trip to NZ peacefully, with a Wine Tour of the Otago region (known for their Pinot Noir). Within 2 days of arriving home, I crazily jumped right back into Uni, with Aikido, Hockey, and Iyengar Yoga on the side. I’ve never been so stressed out. I have been constantly catching up with readings and papers and midterms, since then. I don’t remember how to write a paper and everyone here feels so young and ignorant! I’m taking 4 upper level psych. courses, which are extremely interesting but heaps of work. Along with courses, I am re-applying to grad schools in both Canada and the US this year in Speech Pathology. Cross your fingers for me.

February 2005

As stress relief, and as a result of the unusually warm winter we are having here, I spent last weekend surfing in Tofino (3 hours north-west on my island). It was hard, wet, and cold, but I’m glad I did it. It was so peaceful up there. Now it’s back to writing papers on abnormal child development.

Future plans include a snowboarding trip up to Whistler to visit my sister, who is living there. I’ll probably spend Valentine’s Day up there with Shane and my sister. My Valentine’s Days can only get better after last year’s fiasco! I’m also heading to an Aikido retreat in March and a chocolate festival. I also plan on catching a few concerts in the next few months, including Xavier Rudd (Aussie didgeridoo player living in Canada, very cool), and Sarah McLaughlin, as well as taking in another Wine festival.

For the Spring and Summer:

Well, I need a job to support all these fine activities, so I’ll be looking for one of those. I also find out about grad school stuff in March, and maybe some more travelling in April is in the cards (England? Vegas? Tofino?). Wherever I can afford. I will play it by ear.

Well, that is my six months in review. Hope you are doing well, wherever you find yourself. Take care.