A Year in the Life

Tomorrow marks one year since I embarked on this journey. Well, it would be if it was a leap year and February 29th existed. But rather than dwelling on the mysteries of the Gregorian calendar, let me take a moment to highlight some of my favorite parts of this journey.

A lot has happened in this year. A whole lot. The early morning drive from my home in Longwood, Florida, to the airport seems like a whole lifetime away. With this journey has come both good and bad. But, as usual, I wouldn’t change it for the world. We often look at the bad parts of our lives with sadness, wishing it never happened. I see it all as one big learning curve. As long as I walk away from happiness and sadness having learned from it, I feel like I’m on the right track. In fact, I’m grateful to encounter hardship, as it can teach me things I might over look in an otherwise perfect life.

But enough philosophy, here are my adventures (in chronological order):

For the first time in my life, I moved more than 40 minutes away from my childhood home. Maybe 6,000 miles was a bit much but, go big or go home, amiright?
I attended the Game Developers Conference 2012, met some amazing new people, and saw some of my favorite people, too.
Relaxed in Napa Valley with Samira and my dad for a weekend
Met some really amazing friends during a week of intense training.
Learned to drive on the other side of the road
Started working in a Junior High School in Ibaraki, Japan.
Tried some really weird food
Enjoyed my very first cherry blossom viewing party.
Went on weekend trips to all over north eastern Honshu.
Experienced true heart-break
Rice planting/harvesting with my school
Celebrated a friends birthday where I made some amazing new friends
Climbed Mt. Fuji
Visited Hakuba and met Momma Hakuba
Stayed in a temple overnight
Visited by good friends in Tokyo, Nara, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Took a 10 day vacation in Vietnam with some of my favorite people.
Saw the Yokohama Fireworks Show which lasted an hour.
Pulled an all-nighter in Roppongi (I’ve done a few more since)
Went to some great parties thrown by Kris
Started to see Japanese culture from an inside point of view
Mom visited my school and we toured Ibaraki/Kanto together!
Tokyo themed restaurants
An illness in my family back home made me question my life in Japan
Celebrated Thanksgiving with Americans, Canadians, and Japanese friends alike
Tokyo Disney Land and Sea
Spent a white Christmas in Sapporo, follow by lots of world-class skiing!
My cousin visited Japan for two weeks!
New Years at the Tokyo Tower
Winter wonderland, old village of Shirakawa-go
A late-night car crash
Went to Sapporo again for the Snow Festival
Learned that distance/time doesn’t affect real friendships

It’s been one heck of a year. And to think, I only knew two people in Japan when I got here! Wow. I’m so glad I did it, I know I’ll never regret that choice.

Not to mention, there is still more fun stuff just ahead. A few examples: