En route to Unzen – This Isn't Tokyo

Rain. Pouring rain. Heavy clouds all across the sky. Staggeringly awful humidity. Hiking or any sort of outdoor activity is out of the question. I’m really disappointed…but I’m feeling relaxed, too. I may go to Shimabara for a few hours and then double back to Unzen in time to check into my ryokan, because there really isn’t much to do in Unzen. A trip to the onsen sounds <i>fantastic</i> right now.

Hi! I’m Smitha.

I’m an alumna of the JET Program. I currently live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

In 2018, I’m spending ~1.5 months doing the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage from late February through mid-April.

From 2005 to 2007, I lived in Ikeda-cho, Miyoshi-shi, Tokushima-ken, on the island of Shikoku in Japan. I taught at 1 junior high and 6 elementary schools, and I taught 2 weekly community English conversation classes.

I’d maintained this blog during my time on JET, including the months before departure and the waves of reverse culture shock after returning to the US. I sought to capture my full experiences, both good and bad, to try to paint a realistic picture.

This blog “broke” sometime over the years; I had never meant to take it down. It’s finally back online, in the hopes that it gives prospective/current JETs some help or commiseration.

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