Returning

After spending the last four years learning, growing, loving and being loved in Santa Barbara, California while I attended Westmont college. I have returned to Japan to teach first grade at the school I grew up going to, CAJ. If you were wondering, it is very weird to be back!

Returning "home" has not been what I expected. For the first time I feel like I am seeing it through the eyes of a foreigner. Everything is so familiar, but it all feels kind of wrong and not really like home. Every morning so far I have woken up feeling homesick and wanting to return to Santa Barbara. It was a strange feeling to suddenly realize that I have found a new home, Japan was my home for so many years, but now Santa Barbara is home. We'll just have to see if this will feel more like home again after living here.

Right now I am living alone in the apartment of a teacher at the school who is in the states for 6 months. It is strange to live alone. I have never really done it before and since I grew up in such a big family it is kind of hard to be here alone. I never even had my own room until about 6 months ago, so living alone is pretty crazy. Thankfully school is starting soon, so then I will be busy and maybe I will appreciate the alone time more.

This year I will be co-teaching 1st grade with Julie Johnson at CAJ and what is crazy is that Julie and I went to CAJ together and were in the same class! The picture on the left is of us when we were in 1st grade together! And the one on the right is one that we took just today in our new classroom. It is pretty amazing how God works :) Who knew that some day we would be teaching first grade together? We are both pretty excited but also very nervous as we start our first year of teaching together. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we start out this year on Wednesday!