That settles it. Amami Oshima is the most beautiful place I have ever been to. I already knew that but maybe I've never said it aloud. Monday's national holiday was appropriately Marine Day, or "Ocean Day." So we rented a beach house for Saturday and Sunday night for mine and Carson's leaving party (and Jonathan came… Continue reading I Live in a Tropical Paradise
Category: Island Life
Learning to Appreciate the Here and Now
I've always been a restless person. I can never stay in one place for too long. When I was still living at home, I was gone almost every weekend visiting friends in other parts of New England or New York. I think one of the best parts about growing up in the northeast was how… Continue reading Learning to Appreciate the Here and Now
A Snapshot of My Life, and Why I Haven’t Written About Golden Week Yet
I love the way sunshine breathes life into a city. I just returned from a beautiful evening bike ride around my little city, the perfect way to close out a great weekend at the beach. On my bike ride I saw more kids outside playing than usual, and lots of people were enjoying dinner with their… Continue reading A Snapshot of My Life, and Why I Haven’t Written About Golden Week Yet
Amami Oshima, You`re on to Something…
It's been weeks since I've updated! I have been busy playing Amami Tour Guide. My boyfriend was here for a week, and then the day after he left I had some mainland friends stay with me at AirBnBecca (yep, that's what I call my central island apartment.) This week, I've been catching up on sleep,… Continue reading Amami Oshima, You`re on to Something…
The End of the Japanese School Year and JET Interview Resuts
The past couple weeks at school have been all about goodbyes. Not just for the third years, but for some teachers too. All teachers in Kagoshima prefecture are required to fulfill their "island duty" at some point in their teaching career. They are expected to dedicate five years to their island school! Some teachers even… Continue reading The End of the Japanese School Year and JET Interview Resuts
The First Perfect Island Day of 2016
I wrote this post last night. I came home from an amazing day and needed to turn my experience into words. Here you go. Today. I need to put a day like today in words. Right after it's happened. When I can still feel the palpable heat of the sun on my face and it makes my head… Continue reading The First Perfect Island Day of 2016
An Island Girl in the Big City (Again)
This past weekend, I decided to overnight ferry to the mainland for a weekend getaway to Kagoshima City. If I want to spend time in the city, the overnight ferry from Amami to Kagoshima is the most convenient way for me to travel for several reasons. 1) The port is only a five minute drive from… Continue reading An Island Girl in the Big City (Again)
Island Gems
Instead of blowing up my Facebook with more pictures tonight, I figured I'll just post the ones I took today on my blog. On my way to try on a tsumugi kimono for my high school's graduation next month, I got lost and ended up at a hidden beach. What a great place to end… Continue reading Island Gems
Chasing Rainbows and Cherry Blossoms
Yesterday I ran the Sakura Half Marathon on Amami Island, a race than Amami holds every February in the north. The marathon bears its name because the course stretches around a dam that is lined with Amami's early-blooming sakura trees. Since Amami is so far south, we get to enjoy hanami (flower viewing) almost two… Continue reading Chasing Rainbows and Cherry Blossoms
Yoga in Japan(ese)
Last weekend, I tried out my first yoga class on the island. I have been wanting to take a yoga class down here since I arrived, but I only knew about classes that met during the week. And when you're a teacher, a yoga class at 10 am on a Wednesday is not possible. But… Continue reading Yoga in Japan(ese)
The Becca Jar 