And just like that, spring vacation is over. I'm going back to school tomorrow and be an ALT again. Last year, I wrote that last year was going to be my final year in Japan. I wish it was the case but a lot of things have happened. Those things were not so good so I decided to stay in Japan and stay in my job. Staying here gives me a semblance of order. However, I promised myself that this is, REALLY REALLY, my last year as an ALT- at least.
Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful to be here, teaching in Japan. God knows how hard the application process was. I'm grateful but I'm not fulfilled. There's a huge difference. It's like when you're hungry and you ate a nice loaf of bread. You're grateful for that bread but a whole pizza or even a steak would be better. I'm feeling that way towards what I do. Being an ALT is an awesome job. It's relatively easy and it has lots of vacation. The pay is good especially for someone like me who's from a third-world country. However, it's not a job I'd like to do for a long time. It's cool being an ALT for a few years but unless you have a skyrocketing self-motivation, it's hard to do it for a longer period of time. In time, I'll write a post on why this is so.
Just because it's my last year as an ALT doesn't mean I'll slack off with my job. Knowing I only have this year actually gives me motivation to excel. I'll plan better activities and think of more fun lessons. I was pretty excited with all the ideas I dreamt about them two nights ago. (Seriously!) I'll eat lunch with my students more often. I'll hang out in their clubs more regularly. I'll even talk to teachers, even those who like ignoring me. Because I have limited time, I want to make the most out of it.
What do I plan to do after being an ALT?
My great grand plan in my life is to write a novel that would give me great revenues and support a life of travel. Then I'd write some more until I'm old and grey. But here's the reality: I still need lots of practice to write a novel. So instead of that, I'll work, preferably teach in another country. I also have to mind the ticking of my biological clock. And I need to upgrade professionally so I'm going back to grad school. I have a lot of things to do after this year, really. This is my last year to prolong being a full-fledged adult. I'm nervous to leave Japan and to leave my ALT job. They've become my comfort zone. But I need to grow up and I want to leave this job while I can still find reasons to enjoy it.
PS: Since I've already poured out my plans in this post, I'll shamelessly advertise my need for a job beginning April next year. I'm very proactive about finding a job no? (hehe!) I can teach English or ESL. I'm a licensed teacher. I've taken courses in grad school. I have language certificates and my IELTS Score is 8.5. I can also do other jobs related to communications or media. I'm easy to work with. I'm highly-organized and an independent worker. (You can even ask my boss and previous bosses. hehe!) I've never been fired in my entire career. (That should mean something, right?)
