Warming up to settling down
There’s an interesting discussion going on at the Gaijin Parents Mailing List (which you should feel free to join if you qualify—or even if you don’t but are interested in the topic) about the decisions involved in choosing to settle permanently in Japan. When I first came here, I thought I would be staying just long enough to pay off my college debts and set aside a little bit of money for the future. That was more than six years ago, and I’m still here.
The last time I went back to the States, my friend Dan asked when I was planning to come home. “Or has Japan become your home now?” he asked. Although I rejected the idea at the time, the longer I stay here, the more I have to accept that I am evolving into a long-term resident.
When I came here initially, I was determined to go back to the States within a few years. During those few years, though, a lot changed. These days I’m still somewhat inclined to return to the States, but I’m warming up to the idea of settling down here for good.
In any case, for reasons that relate to my job and current visa status, I will be looking into permanent residency soon. And if George Bush manages to win reelection in November, I think we’ll also look into buying a house here, because America probably won’t be worth going back to for years to come—but that’s less about warming up to Japan than it is about cooling on the U.S.
