Life’s what happens while you’re busy making other plans

I grew up in a small town about 40 minutes by car from New York City. Like any teenager, I couldn’t wait to leave and start exploring the world (laughs). I was interested in languages and studied French, Spanish, and Italian in high school, and Japanese and Russian in college. Japanese characters felt a bit like art to me. I was fascinated by the hidden stories that the kanji characters told when combined with other characters, making it possible for me to guess their meanings.

The business world in Japan in the early 90s still carried echoes of the bubble economy, and the future seemed promising. My dream back then was to work in Japan, return to New York, join a major corporation, and eventually become CEO. With that plan in mind, I applied to the JET Programme*, intending to stay for just one year, and was assigned to Kitakyushu City. My first job in Japan was as an English teacher—but I wasn't very good at teaching (laughs). I was enthusiastic but it definitely wasn’t my strong suit. I had planned to return to the U.S. after my contract ended, but the JET Programme also had a “Coordinator for International Relations” position, which involved interpretation, translation, and supporting sister city exchange. That seemed like a better fit for me, so I applied. Luckily, I got the job and started working at city hall.

*The JET Programme invites young people from around the world to promote international exchange in local communities and be involved in foreign language education in local governmental offices, boards of education, elementary schools, junior high schools, and senior high schools across Japan (https://jetprogramme.org/en/about-jet/).

Lost and found at the river

I got married in 2000. Seven years later, after I became pregnant with my first child, I decided to leave my job. At the time, I was working as a program coordinator at an environmental research institute, where I helped organize programs and international conferences in Japan and other Asian countries. In my mind, I was career-driven, someone who threw herself into her work. But then I became a mom and suddenly didn’t have an office to go to. I didn't even know what being a "mom" meant (laughs). If my own mom had lived close by, she could have taught me a lot. But I was alone. I had no mama-tomos (mom-friends), and I felt a bit lost.

The apartment I lived in was near a river. The riverbank was lined with cherry trees, stretching as far as the eye could see. In spring, when they were in full bloom, it was a breathtaking sight. I took my daughter out in her stroller for a walk along the river every day...in the summer, fall, winter, and spring, hoping I might meet other newbie moms. I began to see the same people from the neighborhood on my walks, and they started to talk to me, saying things like, "hello" and "how are you," or commenting on how much my daughter had grown. Little by little, I got used to life as a mom and found myself becoming part of the local community.

Even now, when I look at the river, I remember those days. It's a place where I met wonderful people, became part of the Japanese community, and felt like I belonged—experiences that I could never have had as a tourist.

Turning the page: A translator’s new chapter

About two months after giving birth, I resumed working as a freelance translator and interpreter, a career I have continued for the last 17+ years. I've also been attending graduate school at The University of Kitakyushu since last year. A student at this age, can you imagine? (laughs). About seven years ago, I started a program for elementary, junior and senior high school students to help them understand the world beyond their windows. Rather than simply learning about foreign cultures, this program provides a platform where students can interact with their peers from other countries and work together to find solutions to social issues like poverty and the environment. This is my passion, what I truly want to do. The program has been run in a variety of settings, including as part of an extension course at The University of Kitakyushu for the past several years, in which I have been involved as a facilitator.

However, while running this program, I realized I lacked both practical experience and foundational knowledge. I studied on my own to try to fill these gaps, but it still wasn't enough. So, I decided to enroll in graduate school where I am researching project-based learning. By gaining more knowledge and experience, I hope to create more effective programs, and after nearly 30 years in translation, I'm ready to take on a fresh, new challenge.

After my graduate school entrance ceremony, I stopped by the river for the first time in ages. My head was spinning with thoughts of what I had just gotten myself into, and near my old apartment, I wandered down a path I'd never taken before. When I reached the river, I was met with a breathtaking sight—cherry blossoms in full bloom. I spent about 30 minutes alone, just relaxing. I was so happy to find a new spot in a place filled with such wonderful memories that I took my kids, now in junior and senior high school, there the following week.

I hadn't planned on living in Japan, but here I am, 30 years later. In that time, both Kitakyushu and the U.S. have changed, and so have my dreams. The only thing that hasn't changed since I was a child is that I don't eat breakfast (laughs), but I do cook for my family! Personally though, I’d rather sleep than eat (laughs).