I learned that I had been accepted to the JET Program in April of 2000. Where I would be teaching in Japan, I would not learn until a few weeks later, but by then I had already decided that I’d wanted to join the program no matter where my assignment. I knew that most JET participants work in rural Japan, and by the time I received my acceptance, I had already constructed a fantasy of my future life in Japan: living in a quiet little village, I would spend my days teaching, bonding with the locals, and pursuing peaceful hobbies like fishing and reading.

My initial reaction to being accepted to the JET Program was one of relative calm. Considering how many times I’d fantasized of a rustic, idyllic future in the Japanese countryside, I should have been more excited. I had a lot on my mind at the time, most notably my impending graduation. The prospect of saying sayonara to student life was scary, and the fear of leaving school probably cancelled any excitement I had about going to Japan.

My early lack of emotion faded with my graduation. With my graduation, there came finality to my school life, and it became easier for me to comprehend the reality that I was going to Japan. As I began packing all my textbooks and moving out of my college apartment, it became more apparent that only two months separated my graduation and my departure date for Japan, and that I needed to prepare for Japan.

But I had no idea what I was preparing for-besidesmy silly fantasy of fishing in the Japanese countryside (and I don't know how to fish).It was then that the details of my future in Japan began to trickle in, starting with a package from the Board of Education where I would be working. . The package contained my preliminary contract and letters from the four JET participants who worked for the town. The letters were all enthusiastic, and I was excited by what my predecessor had to say: “I think most of us here in Togane would agree that you have lucked out with your future JET situation.” However, the details of my placement were slightly different from my fantasy of living in the Japanese countryside. Instead of the tiny, isolated village I had imagined, my placement would be in Togane-shi, Chiba-ken, a city of about 50,000 people ten minutes from the Pacific, an hour and a half from Tokyo. . Instead of being the only JET participant in the area, I would be among ten JET participants in the area. Instead of fishing with the locals who spoke no English, I would be exploring Tokyo with other English teachers.

I wasn’t disappointed that my little fantasy had proven false. It was simply an example of how expectations can be completely and utterly useless.

In addition to the description of the town I would be working in, the letters contained advice on preparing for the trip - how I should bring deodorant and Tylenol because they aren't available in Japan,how I should bring gifts to my future superiors and colleagues,how I should bring items from my home area to help introduce myself to the locals (I would be doing it often, I was told) The information was overwhelming, and it became even more so knowing that I would be moving to Japan with a two bag limit.

Perhaps that’s why I found myself frantically packing the morning of my departure.