Following the White Rabbit into the Unknown (AKA Japan)

Just like Alice, I’ve fallen blindly down a rabbit hole.

The rabbit hole she tumbled down led her to Wonderland, but my rabbit hole will lead me to Japan.

Alice and The White Rabbit; John Tennial

If you don’t know already, I’ve accepted a position with the JET Program (Japan Exchange & Teaching Program). I’m going to Japan for one full year (August-August) to be an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT.) I’ll be working in an elementary, middle or high school and teaching my students English and about American culture. I will be more than just a teacher while I’m there. I’ll also be a cultural ambassador of the U.S. to Japan.

Now this is truly a Wonderland-esque experience for me because I really am jumping into the unknown. I still don’t know where I’ll be living and working in Japan (but I find out soon) and truthfully, I don’t know a whole lot about Japan or its rich history yet. But what I do know is that I am a teacher who has a great passion for working with students from other cultures, and I’m so curious about what it’s like to be immersed in Japanese culture– a beautiful way of life that is completely foreign to me.

I’m really excited and nervous for this big adventure I’m embarking on come August 1st. I’ve never done anything like this before. I didn’t study abroad and I’ve only been out of the country a handful of times for no more than a week at a time, and never on my own before. But this is exactly the kind of experience I’m looking for to get me out of my comfort zone.

I’ll use this blog as a place to catalog stories and pictures of my experiences teaching and traveling (and running around!) Japan if you want to follow my journey over the next year. And I’ll post more about the JET Program specifically and the intense process I went through to be accepted at a later date. :)