I have been in Japan for a little over 1 month. As a marker of such an occasion I believe it relevant to write a post about what it is like to live abroad, by yourself and in Japan. The first stage is one of settling in. You need to get all the basic necessities to survive and stay sane. In my case this was relatively simple. I live really close to a grocery store and also a Home Depot like store called Keinz home. But honestly there are still a decent amount of things I need that I haven’t gotten, like a pillow case. But if you look at my recyclable bag, there was no time wasted in having a steady supply of beer. Maybe this is the result of being a 22 year old male. One thing I do know for sure is that the best way to learn how to live on your own in a different country is to simply do it. Its not as difficult as you think, just do it if you think you want to. My word of advice, make sure one of the first things you do is buy toilet paper and make sure that your gas company has turned on your gas, because you need it for heating, cooking, and hot water here in Japan. So for the first few days I was essentially camping in my own home. Also make sure you have at least a reading light that isn’t florescent because after a while you begin to feel like your in a doctors office if all your lights are a industrial white. Just last night I plugged in a vertical corner light that had been in my room since I moved in only to realize it gave off a really soothing light making my place seem a little more homey, which is really important when you live on your own. 

     Let’s talk language. Yes they do speak Japanese in Japan, and also very little english. No I am not fluent in Japanese or really able to speak much at all. My job, teaching at a international school, means that during the week days I speak english. But at least 5 days a week I dedicate an hour or so to learning Japanese on Rosetta stone, which I highly recommend and I know with time I am going to make large leaps in my linguistic comprehension and speech. 

     Money. Your first month you need to conserve, because the odds are you won’t get paid until you have already worked a month. This has resulted in a Spartan diet for myself. Large amounts of rice, ramen, frozen vegetables and meat….Not the most appetizing but on the positive side my blood pressure has gone from slightly pre-hypertension to regular. WOohoo! But a cheap diet for the first month has allowed me to go see my friends in the Tokyo area and spend the money on drinks and travel. I will get my first pay check this friday so then I will be free to have a more diversified diet. 

     I hope this has given you a decent idea of what it has been like for me to live abroad. In my continuing posts here in Japan I will attempt to give a better picture of what it is like and why it is such an awesome thing to do!