How We Ended Up in Japan

This is Greg and I at Enoshima Beach 14 days after we landed at Narita Airport, Tokyo, Japan.  This is the story of how we got here to journal our experiences.

At the conclusion of the 2014-2015 school year, Greg was due to retire from Clark County School District with 30 years.  At the ripe old age of 50, he wanted to continue teaching elsewhere.  I, as his personal secretary, began to create his portfolio and resume.  Once they were completed, I began to process of applying for teaching jobs all over Las Vegas for Greg in the private sector.  With that completed, I decided to update my information as well.  Meanwhile, one of my very best friends, Leigh Johnson had moved to Germany with her husband and kids because her pilot husband,JJ had been transferred there per U.S Air Force.  Leigh kept encouraging me to put in our applications to teach with the Department of Defense Education Activities, particularly, to teach in Germany so that she and I could be together.  (What can I say, I love that woman!)  With two weeks left of school, I found the DoDEA website and submitted Greg's application.  On the last day of work for the 2014-2015 school year, on a whim, I put in an application for me as well.  After I clicked the submit button the website, I took my computer apart and turned in my school keys and went home for the summer.

Three weeks later, I was offered a job teaching PE at Lanham Elementary School located in Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Ayase, Japan.

Before applying and accepting this job, I had the distinct impression for the last month of school that a change was coming.  I could have never predicted that the change would mean leaving the USA for Japan.  (As a matter of fact, the impression was so strong that I had packed up ALL my things and left them in boxes in my classroom.)Other things in our lives also fell in to place before the job was offered and accepted that has helped to me KNOW that this was a blessing and wonderful opportunity for Greg and I.  

Though Leigh wishes the middle school in Germany that I interviewed with would have hired me before Japan, we are making plans to still meet up.  After all, Leigh has never been to Japan and I've never been to Germany.