My time in Japan seems almost like a dream.

As I was making my lunch for my practicum this week, I thought about how different everything is now that I am home again… and how my time in Japan seems almost like I dreamt it! I reincorporated into my life in Canada so smoothly, I can’t believe that life looked so different only a week ago!

Even my first week working in Japan seemed oddly dream-like as it was so easy to get into a routine and get comfortable with my new home, my coworkers, and my responsibilities and expectations! I was really nervous about going to Japan and experiencing a hefty dose of culture shock, but actually had such a wonderful time and felt very at home there.

While it is important to be prepared for homesickness, culture shock, food differences…and more- It is equally important to be brave and be ready for the most amazing opportunity of your life! Be open to everything going fantastically and don’t expect the worst to happen (just have a backup plan in case it does!).

Driving everywhere seems like the biggest shock to me, and I miss walking to the train station every morning. Otherwise, life is pretty great. My experiences have filled my heart and fueled my hope to bring some of the student and staff involvement ideas into my Canadian classroom–and the idea of teaching abroad has definitely gone onto my radar and made its way onto my list of things to explore when my degree is finished.