Introduction!

Hello everybody!

My name is Courtney and welcome to my blog! Please be patient with me, as I've never blogged before. However, starting August 4th, I will be living and teaching in Japan and wanted to chronicle my journey so that others could follow it. I hope that this blog will help others that will participate in the JET program in the future, especially those placed in Hirosaki or the Aomori prefecture. Here is where my story begins:

In October of 2018, I applied for the JET Program. I completed the multi-page application, wrote the two-page essay, chose my two references, and gathered all of my documents. The almost 3 month wait after applying seemed to be the most excruciatingly slow time period but I finally received an email in late January telling me that I had passed the application process and had been selected for the interview stage. やった! I had applied in 2017 previously and had not even made it that far, so things were already looking up!

In late January, I drove the two hours to my nearest consulate and waited with other hopefuls until my name was called. The interview lasted no longer than 15 minutes before I was off and driving the two hours home again. It's so hard to believe your chances ride solely on paper and within 15-20 minutes. Then it was on to another 2 months of waiting. In late March, I was alerted that I had been selected as an alternate. I wasn't upset, as I'd already made it further than the last year. Much further really, as I hadn't been outright rejected at either the application review or interview steps. I pushed it to the back of my mind and continued with my life as a Study Abroad Coordinator, working for Youth for Understanding (a wonderful non-profit educational exchange program!). 

Suddenly, the second week of April rolled around and I received a call and email from my consulate's coordinator. I'd been selected to be moved from the alternate to the short list! Crying excitedly in the bathroom at work, texting my family and friends, all seemed like a dream or a fog. It still didn't really hit me that I was actually going to Japan, something I've wanted since I was a child, with JET until July hit and it all became more real. I jumped into gear and was making lists, selling things, planning goodbyes with family and friends. That is where I am currently. I leave two weeks from Friday, July 19th, to uproot the life I've always known and begin a new adventure in the beautiful city of Hirosaki. 

I am inviting you all to follow me on this journey! I cannot guarantee how often I will update but I will try to make myself do it as regularly as possible. Please read my next post to learn more about the city and prefecture I will be living in for at least the next year!