"All of my life I have been living in the Edmonton 'bubble' and have never really had the courage to explore something new.
I graduated from Grant MacEwan in 2004, and felt like I needed a change. I had it pretty good here. I lived at home, my bills were paid, food was usually on the table, and all my friends and family were close. What the heck was I thinking, wanting to give this all up for a year
I decided to start exploring my options. I am a music teacher in the city, and I knew that the teaching route would probably be the way to go. I started to do a lot of research on the internet about jobs that were available, and found a lot of opportunities in Asia.
To be honest though, the idea of going to a completely different continent really scared me. I decided to get my TESOL Certificate in the meantime, and just kept looking for the 'perfect' job.
By March 2004, I was ready to go, and I had decided on Tokyo, Japan. To this day I still don't know why I chose this country, but I knew that it was a chance that I had to take, and it was definitely the right one!!
I signed the contract and in 2 weeks I was at the airport, not able to stop the tears. I don't even really remember the plane ride I was crying so much. Even the people sitting next to me on the flight, were wondering what my problem was. I couldn't believe that I had just left EVERYTHING!!!!
It was an extremely long flight and by the time I flew into the Narita Airport, 2 days later, I was ready to get back on the plane and return home.
Tokyo is a completely different world. People still ask me what it was like living there, and I still don't know how to answer. My days consisted of teaching in the morning and exploring in the afternoon, and the only way to describe the whole experience is life changing.
It was honestly the best decision I ever made. I am a better person for it, and when I look back on my time there I am so proud of myself. How many 23 year olds can say that they made a life on their own in Japan!!
I am not going to sugar coat it, and say that it was easy, but like anything, it takes time to adjust. To absorb the culture, the people, and the scenery was amazing!! I had never been on my own before, but after a year I was crying because I didn't want to return home.
I met so many wonderful people, and my students were the most kind and generous kids any teacher could have asked for.
All in all, I have no regrets and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I love to travel and I love to teach so it was absolutely the perfect thing for me. The people that I met and the experiences that I had, changed my life. I know that once the travelling bug bites, there is no stopping you.
I would tell anyone that wanted to travel and teach, that it is the best job in the world. Just remember that not a lot changes at home, so why not go out there and experience something that will completely change your life."
Jill Samycia
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