shiny
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2005
- Messages
- 673
I haven't been posting in a while, but I've lurked some lately. There are lots of new posters since I've been around, so hello to you all!
It's been almost a year now since we moved to Tokyo for DH's job. It took a little while to get adjusted (you know, like find restaurants we like, etc), but we are enjoying life here. We've met SO many people and are doing lots of things like exploring all the little neighborhoods around the big city as well as doing some travel in Japan and other Asian countries (like Vietnam and Thailand - where we met MJ as well at the Kaderlis, jjac, and Kramer- that was so much fun!)
We brought our dog and we live near a park where lots of folks walk dogs, so I'm practicing my Japanese daily! We are taking language lessons and can get around and ask for things we want, it is a struggle - we aren't planning on becoming fluent, but every little bit helps.
I haven't joined "the American club" and I have resisted the expat mentality, so far it has paid off in that I have met people in different ways and have based friendships on common interests rather than just clinging to people from "home." I am lucky though, Tokyo has so many English speaking Japanese people, and many of them have traveled to the US, so it is easier to make friends.
What prompted me to post is the fact that since we've been out and about we have met so many interesting people. Many retired early and are traveling, some are working contract jobs here, others are teaching English to support their travels, etc. It has just been so interesting to discover the lives that people have made for themselves. I know we all sometimes feel like we are strange for retiring early, or planning it, but once you start digging there are really more non-conformist than you thought!
We still don't have "the date" set for DH's retirement. He just turned 40 this year. We were thinking 2009, but he recently got asked to extend here in Japan (new boss) with more travel to Australia and also was contacted about a different position in Europe. So, as long as he is ok with work we'll probably keep going. Our self-imposed absolute cut off date is his 43rd birthday, so maybe we'll just go where life takes us until then. Who knows!?!
It's been almost a year now since we moved to Tokyo for DH's job. It took a little while to get adjusted (you know, like find restaurants we like, etc), but we are enjoying life here. We've met SO many people and are doing lots of things like exploring all the little neighborhoods around the big city as well as doing some travel in Japan and other Asian countries (like Vietnam and Thailand - where we met MJ as well at the Kaderlis, jjac, and Kramer- that was so much fun!)
We brought our dog and we live near a park where lots of folks walk dogs, so I'm practicing my Japanese daily! We are taking language lessons and can get around and ask for things we want, it is a struggle - we aren't planning on becoming fluent, but every little bit helps.
I haven't joined "the American club" and I have resisted the expat mentality, so far it has paid off in that I have met people in different ways and have based friendships on common interests rather than just clinging to people from "home." I am lucky though, Tokyo has so many English speaking Japanese people, and many of them have traveled to the US, so it is easier to make friends.
What prompted me to post is the fact that since we've been out and about we have met so many interesting people. Many retired early and are traveling, some are working contract jobs here, others are teaching English to support their travels, etc. It has just been so interesting to discover the lives that people have made for themselves. I know we all sometimes feel like we are strange for retiring early, or planning it, but once you start digging there are really more non-conformist than you thought!
We still don't have "the date" set for DH's retirement. He just turned 40 this year. We were thinking 2009, but he recently got asked to extend here in Japan (new boss) with more travel to Australia and also was contacted about a different position in Europe. So, as long as he is ok with work we'll probably keep going. Our self-imposed absolute cut off date is his 43rd birthday, so maybe we'll just go where life takes us until then. Who knows!?!