Looking Back at Myself One Year Ago and Thinking of Myself One Year From Now
In Tbilisi, Georgia, where I am staying, the real cold weather arrived in October.
In September, we sometimes had days of lingering summer heat with strong sunshine, but there will be no more such days this month. Finally, the cold winter is coming to Georgia.
I left Japan and headed to the Philippines, a country of everlasting summer, in January, and then, I have been staying in Georgia since July.
Since I spent more than half a year in the summer season this year, I am a bit nervous about winter after a long absence.
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I’m studying and working as a beginner freelancer now.
I often feel anxious, but I can have the days while managing to keep positive thinking.
Sometimes I wonder “Where will I be and what will I be doing a year from now?”. But it is useless to think about such things, and even if I do, things will not turn out as planned.
In my situation, having strayed from the career path in Japan, I don’t think I should be looking for immediate stability right now, and I can’t draw such an illusion here.
So, to sum up, “Que sera sera”. That’s all I can say.
However, that is a bit cold, so while thinking about what I was doing a year ago, I want to hope for myself a year later.
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A year ago, I stayed in Sendai, the second-largest city north of Japan, for over a week.
I brought my computer to work and went to take a certain exam.
The exam was for the “Nationally Licensed Marine Diver” (NLMD).
I love swimming in the ocean, and I had just upgraded my recreational diver certification (C-card) from Open Water Diver (OWD) to Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD) in Okinawa in the summer.
When I get interested in something, I want to master the mainstream, but my interest is also sucked into the sidelines.
For example, when I got interested in Japanese professional baseball and started researching its various aspects, I found myself becoming more and more familiar with the Korean baseball cheering situation. I am confident that I can quickly become friends with Korean baseball fans.
Taking the license was the perfect event for me.
After applying for an exam for the license, I bought a reference book, solved two rounds of problems in the book, and headed for Sendai. I took the exam in Iwanuma, a city on the outskirts of Sendai, on a sunny day when it was still hot.
Later that day, I received the news that I had passed the exam and was successfully certified.
I have no plans to use the license for work at the moment, but it remains this is one of the most prestigious nationally licensed I have.
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A year has passed since then.
At that time, I only thought that I would be working in the Philippines a year from now.
So I never thought that I would be spending my time now in a country that I had no connection to, thinking about my life.
This irregular and unpredictable development bring me an interest in my life.
Of course, it is necessary to plan for the future and set goals, and I think it is important to be mindful not to get lost in the streets and become negative.
I have made decisions and taken action after overcoming several conflicts, valuing my feelings.
So, first of all, I would like to respect and affirm myself for having reached this point and having hope for my future. I believe that this will be one of the ways for me to enjoy my life in the future.
Where will I be and what will I be doing a year from now?
Arigato!
