Getting Back to Work

I am happy to write that after being on "forced unemployment" (lol, that's what I call it) since March I am finally headed back to work soon! Coming to Japan, I knew that finding a job would be a lot different than back in the states. I wouldn't be able to venture out into town with resumes in hand applying for jobs wherever I decided to stop. Instead, here I am limited to government positions here on base. Job openings are few and far between and although I knew I wanted to steer clear of hotels this time, I couldn't be too picky. I also knew that finding one would be a long and grueling process. I applied for eight jobs and with each application was told it could take up to a month to be called back but nonetheless, I would be called regardless if I was offered a position or not.

Don't get me wrong, hotels are fun and at times don't feel like work at all. However, with it being all that I have known for the past seven years and even getting a degree in Hospitality Management, I felt like if I didn't make a change now, it probably would never happen. What some people don't realize that hotels (just like airports) never close so your schedule has to be open and very flexible. I've worked nights, weekends and holidays for as long as I can remember and hate that it caused me so much time apart from my husband during those years. I love hotels and the tourism industry but for now, I don't mind taking a three year hiatus from it and who knows...maybe it will reappear in the future in my years after Japan.

A month later and I finally did receive a phone call and soon after accepted a position with Operations at the CDH here on base. CDH (Child Development Homes) is a program available to military families to obtain childcare services through providers that work out of their military housing on base. The regular CDC (Child Development Center) on base is always at capacity and often times has a wait list of a year or longer. CDH gives parents another option while on that wait list. So, you could say that I am absolutely thrilled to be starting to work again and feeling like I am contributing to our household!