new adventures! please let me know if you still want to hear about them!

Jambo!

It's been awhile since I last sent out one of these update emails. A lot has happened since then so I'll just give a quick rundown of what's going on and coming up:

- As much as I loved Japan, I thought it was time to move on to something different so I quit my job there in December 08 and came back to Massachusetts for good in mid-June 09
- I've been working at the software company I interned with in college in the Legal Department since early October 09, and I also volunteered with an after-school program in the Fall teaching middle-school-aged kids a class on mural painting in Roslindale, MA
- All I've been doing this winter besides working is snowboarding (but we haven't had much snow...)

This Sunday I'm leaving for a two week trip to Africa to visit a friend who is teaching for a year in Iringa, Tanzania. He is only going to be there until July so I figured this would be my only chance. It's a vacation for me but since he will be working, and traveling around Africa is not the easiest or safest solo for a girl, I will probably be helping out a bit at the international school he works for. But I couldn't go there without going on a safari so that is certainly on the list of things to do! (Also, ostrich rides ala Lion King?)

Last Fall, I was accepted into a program with WorldTeach, an organization that places volunteer teachers in developing countries around the world. The application process is not unlike applying for college, but I'm excited to say that I will be moving to Chile to teach in its public school system. It will be a far different experience from mine in Japan or New Zealand as this one is unpaid besides a monthly stipend and I will living with a host family for the entire 10 months. I also wrote that I preferred to be placed rurally since living near Tokyo has taken care of the need to be in the big city for awhile. As far as my Spanish goes, it's about the same level as my Japanese was when I first moved to Japan if you remember what that was like. I am trying to study a little bit before I go but I already know that living with my homestay and daily communication are going to involve a lot of random words, signing, and pictures all over again!

I couldn't be more excited for these new adventures coming up. I'm writing this message because you were on my list for email updates in Japan and maybe also New Zealand. I plan on doing the same for Tanzania and Chile, sending one every one or two months and uploading pictures online so please, if you want to be included in them still, REPLY to this message! And don't worry, I won't be offended if you don't reply, I know my updates can be pretty lengthy. I like sending them though because that way, I usually get updates from back home as well in response.

Hope to hear from you!

Muchos besos

my updates since 2006 now free for all!

I've done it.  I've finally started a blog.  I've decided to post my old updates that I've sent since my first solo voyage abroad to New Zealand with BU way back in 2006, through Japan, and now for Chile since some people have suggested itt. All the posts dated before this one will be from old emails.  Please forgive the lack of capitalization and the colloquial writing style. Maybe I thought that was cool at the time. Or maybe I was just lazier. Either way, enjoy!