reflections of the last year...this week has been so strange for me. exactly a year and one day since i arrived in the village of kamikuishiki i find myself having these deep reflective thoughts of where my life was just a year ago.

i arrived at the international center in kofu, yamanashi on wednesday august 6th. a group full of anxious looking japanese faces greeted us. some with signs welcoming their new person, others only fixed on the bus trying to see if they could spot the foreigner who would be a part of their community for the next year. only this time, no one was there waiting for me to get off the bus. i was the cheerleader..."its going to be fine" "they'll love you" "call me if you need anything". i got off the bus and looked around at all of the nervous faces, not sure if they should bow, shake hands or give out omiyage on the spot. it was so funny. like looking at an out of body experience. the voice in my head quickly reminded me: this was you one year ago.

having decided to come to japan, i felt like more of the underling among my linesisters. three in law school, three pharmacists, two nurses, a dental hygenist, a high school teacher, a few in grad school...and lil ol' E, the one with no real direction but loads of "potential" decides to take herself to Japan to pursue this lifelong dream of visiting the far EAST. who knew that after one year i would have grown so much personally and professionally? who knew that something that seemed like a whim turned out to be the greatest experience and most growing year of my life? who knew that I would be the one giving advice and having people hang on to every word of my experience? who knew that i would still be here working on year #2?

not I said the little yellow girl. not I.