Really? You wanna read the long version? Psst, it’s not too late to bail!

Okay, if you’re still here and still interested, WOW. That makes me so happy—thank you! So, I’m a New York native–and no, I didn’t grow up in “the city,” but a very tiny, rural town that barely makes it on the map. I moved to an actual city for the last couple years of high school and then for college, so that was my first experience living in a “city.” But that wasn’t enough. I knew life had more plans for me.

Like probably most of you here, reading, I was always told the same mantra for my life: get good grades, go to college, get a good job, get married, and have kids. And for a while, I actually bought into some of that, you know, the whole college and job thing. I was accepted into a PA program at a well-regarded private college in the area and I was like, “Yup. This is it. Just a few years here and I’ll be making reaaaal good money. I’ll be set.” But about a year and a half in, I was completely overwhelmed. Not only with the pressure of that PA program and still working a ton to pay for college at the same time, but with the prospect of me being obligated to do one specific thing for the rest of my life (that, to be honest, wasn’t “my passion”) solely based on my decision at that age. I left that school after winter semester that year and began applying to nursing and dental programs. That’s when I realized I was just chasing after something I thought would make a difference…and would make me good money. And simultaneously, I realized that wasn’t going to be good enough. I did, however, still have the mindset that it would be in my best interest to finish out my undergrad. So, I did. But instead of chasing after some random degree in healthcare, I took that spring semester off to focus on work, saving money, and destressing. Then, I transferred to another university and got my bachelor’s degree in psychology (something I was sure of my interest in). And I’m so grateful that I did because opportunities that I did seize thereafter wouldn’t have been available to me had I not completed my degree.

So, I graduated in May 2016 and that’s really where my story begins. At the end of December 2015, about 5 months before graduating, I started looking into different ways that I could travel and live (even short-term) in other countries. I looked into teaching, working at animal sanctuaries, farms, etc. And I came to the conclusion that I definitely didn’t want to teach, and farms would be okay I guessed, but a lot of hard, physical labor. But I had always LOVED animals. So, the one that stuck out to me was an elephant volunteering project in Thailand through a company called Oyster Worldwide. I immediately contacted them for more information on the application process and logistics. And at this point, I was itching to leave so badly, that I hoped this would for sure be it – I was going to Thailand!! Spending a month or two living and volunteering at an elephant sanctuary – are you kidding!? My heart was set on it. Until, of course, I saw the costs for this program. I don’t recall what the price was exactly, but I can tell you that it was around $600-$700 for one week. I was hoping to stay at least a month, so that left me at roughly $2400-$2800, minimum– I didn’t have that. I was disappointed, but still super motivated, so I checked my bank account and figured that I could afford to do 2 weeks! But then I realized that the $2400+ was ONLY for the program – not flights there and back. I was quickly realizing how limiting my financial situation really was. Wasn’t there a way to either volunteer (at little or no cost) abroad? Or, better yet, work and earn money abroad?? 

So, I wasn’t going to Thailand – sigh – but that didn’t keep me down. I, once again, began to look into other volunteer abroad programs, and my most dreaded option, teaching. I wasn’t having much luck in finding volunteer abroad programs that I could do for at least a month without completely cleaning out my bank account. A month would be amazing, I thought. But I knew, deep down, that I wanted to really get away and stay away for a while. A month would be a teaser, for sure. So, after much consideration and research, I decided I’d take a shot at teaching in Japan. I’d been there a few times before, only at very young ages (9 months even)! And having Japanese heritage, but not really feeling like I had a lot of knowledge of the culture, I thought that’d be the perfect place to start! 

So, despite my resistance to the idea of teaching, I was pretty curious about how far this idea would take me. I found some reputable English schools in Japan and started there. I applied to these schools and heard back from them (a lot sooner than I had expected). After a few interviews (phone, video, and in Toronto), I received a couple job offers and thought, “Whoa. Didn’t expect that…they really think I have what it takes?” But I rolled with it, and next thing I knew, I was filling out paperwork for my visa and my placement preferences. For time reference, this was about mid-July at this point. I sent in my completed paperwork and over the next 2 months, I received my COE (Certificate of Eligibility), secured a placement and start date, and booked my one-way ticket to Japan. And the next thing I knew, I was on a plane…to Japan! And though it didn’t really hit me that I was living in Japan until a few weeks in, it was all so exciting, nonetheless! That’s kind of it, guys. This is where my total love and admiration for travel started. I just really took advantage of where I was, geographically, and when I had a chance to explore, I did! I hope that gave you guys a solid foundation to the start of my travels and gave you a little insight on why I now love to travel!

Love, Hibari ♡

Readers, when is the last time you uprooted your life? Moved to a new city, country?

Leave your comments below – I would love to hear from you!