One wait after another...

If I were to give anyone thinking about applying for JET right now advice it would be this: have patience!

Throughout the whole process it is nothing but one waiting period after another.  It is impossible to predict when you will be contacted after each step of the way, and if you spend the whole time worrying about it you will be miserable for months!

I'm kind of having fun imagining where I might be sent while I wait to see what the final word is.  I know that either way I will have a blast, but a small part of me is really hoping that I will at least not be on some remote island.  At this point I just have to make do with my final waiting game to find out when and where I will be going.

Also, while it seems kind of common sense to say, don't put all your eggs in one basket!  Look into other jobs, the worst that could happen would be that you would need to let them know another opportunity has come up.  If anything this would probably be the one thing I would change about my experience.  I was so obsessed about this process that I didn't look much into other job opportunities.  At the very least I kind of wish I would have taken a part time job to help set aside some extra cash.

My Adventures Begin!

Here we go!

The following blog will hopefully be a chronicle of my adventures as I navigate through my time in the JET Program!  To be honest, it still feels a little like a dream.

For what felt like an eternity I sat on the dreaded alternate list.  Each day my phone would make an alert of a new email, and with disappointment I would find yet another piece of either junk mail or some newsletter promotion.  You can then imagine the emotions I went through when I discovered that first call...

First off, I had missed a phone call from a number I didn't recognize.  It wasn't my area code, so I had no idea where it had come from.  Thinking it might be some annoying telemarketer, and wishing to add my name to the "Do Not Call" list, I called the number back to see what company wanted my attention.  To my extreme surprise I found that it was the voicemail for the Consulate-General of Japan!  There, that first spark of hope was lit.  Was I getting an upgrade?  Or did they just need to verify something on my application?  Either way the call was placed after regular office hours, so the best I could do was leave a message with my contact information and hope for the best the following morning.

As if by fate, the exact moment I was planning to pick up the phone and try again my phone rang again.  The office was calling me again since they didn't get a hold of me the day before!  At first it was verifying information on my application.  The hope was starting to fade, believing this to be nothing but routine data updates.  Then my world was thrown for a loop when I was offered to be upgraded to the short-list!  Announcements were made, and phone calls placed to let friends and family know the good news.  And after a while I got my first set of emails with info on upcoming events and forms that I need to fill and return to finalize my upgrade.

Once done I will have nothing to do but wait to find out when and where they will be sending me.  All I know as of right now is that I could be shipping out some time between the end of July and September!  It seems so fast approaching, and I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to feel like a whirlwind!