Well, I put in notice at my job yesterday. Which means that soon I’ll be homeless and jobless.

While that’s not exactly unfamiliarity territory in the life and times of Reannon, it’s still a little frightening. Especially considering that the average American teenager’s allowance is greater than the amount in my savings account at the moment.

I talked to my boss today. He said that since he posted the ad for a new techer yesterday, he’s already received 80 resumes! 80! In one day!

And I was worried about quitting because I wasn’t sure if they’d find anyone to replace me. Ha!

I guess I was feeling a little overly-optimistic about the job market here, being that I found the job I just quit, a mere two days after I arrived in Tokyo. It was the first number I called! But apparently there’s a ton of English teachers all fighting for the same jobs here right now, so I probably don’t have the best timing.

I’m hoping though, that my CELTA certification and teaching experience will give me an advantage. And the fact that I’m young, blond and female can’t hurt. Yes, in Japan (unlike in the West) those are considered assets when applying for a teaching job. And I fully plan on shamelessly taking advantage of that fact. : )

Deciding to quit wasn’t easy though. Despite some of my ranting, I actually liked my job and quite a few of my students. But between the long commutes (sometimes two hours each way) and the horror that is working split shifts, I felt incredibly burnt out and stressed (crying during breaks in classes, guzzling coffee just to work up enough energy put on a happy face), and I felt like a little bit of my soul died with each passing day.

So, really. It was time to move on. Or else risk losing my mind and turning into a depressed, chain-smoking alcoholic, which is the road that a lot of unhappy English teacher’s find themselves on.

On a more positive note, Julie, from julieinjapan.com fame, wrote a really nice article about this blog. It was such a wonderful compliment, being that I’m a huge fan of her site. She’s definitely the go-to person for helpful (and objective!) advice on living and working in Japan and she offers a ton of recommendations, (on anything from where to shop, what to eat, and even advice on teaching English ). I admire her for remaining so positive about life in Japan. She honestly and genuinely seems to like it here, but not in a weird, delusional, unhealthily-obsessed way, (which is too often the case with foreigners here!).