Post-Thesis Life: Goodbye Dijon

Note: This post was written May 1st, 2023.
Before writing this post, I decided to go back and read my ‘moving to France’ announcement I posted in May 2021. I remember the anxiety I felt about the application process, the excitement I had about possibly living in a new country, and how ready I was to…

Being Real: New Country Sadness and the Importance of Routine

Let's start by saying that there is no 'perfect' place. I've lived in four different countries now, Italy being my fourth, and I have a long list of pros and cons for each of them. At least at this stage in my life, I haven't found the 'perfect location' where I love eve…

So... I've Moved to Italy!

It may have surprised you to see the title of this post, but as of yesterday I'm officially living in Palermo, Sicily and enrolled in school. 
To backtrack a bit, my 2 year Masters program in France requires that I spend one semester abroad during my stay, despite the fact that me being in Franc…

I'm Going to Grad School -- in France??

Hello, my lovely readers!


I apologize for not being around this past month! I have had to deal with a whirlwind of situations both at work and in my personal life, but I wanted to share some good news that I've been teasing for a while. 
I was accepted to the University of Burgundy located in Dij…

Why I Rejected My "Dream" Job in Japan


 Hello friend and welcome to my blog! :)

In this post, I want to talk about my experience applying for the JET program, my thoughts on the application process, and why I ended up declining their offer.
To start this story, we need to go back in time a bit. When I was 15 years old, I decided I wanted to be an English teacher in Japan when I grew up. This influenced my college decision in a big way. When I went to college, I decided to major in Japanese and minor in education with the idea of becoming a teacher in the future. 

I Got Accepted Into Waseda University!

I'll try keep this post super brief, but yesterday while I sat on the plane coming back from my vacation in Florida I received an email congratulating me and welcoming me to Waseda!

Of course, I ended up crying my eyes out right before takeoff and probably concerning everyone around me. It was …