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Moving back
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki
PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 8:39 am    Post subject: Moving back Reply with quote
I think I will leave next year.
I would like to hear of other experiences on the transition back to the USA.

I think I will move to Hawaii and I will need to get certified, which I am looking into.

I don't think my wife can deal with life on the mainland.
At least she will find work but my concern is the high cost for rent and gas.
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rtm



Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 1:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving back Reply with quote
mitsui wrote:
I think I will move to Hawaii and I will need to get certified, which I am looking into.
I don't think my wife can deal with life on the mainland.
At least she will find work but my concern is the high cost for rent and gas.

You're right that Hawaii is a very expensive place to live. I don't think I'd want to move my family there if I didn't already have something lined up that would provide an adequate amount of money to live on.
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esl_prof



Joined: 30 Nov 2013
Posts: 2006
Location: peyi kote solèy frèt
PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 6:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving back Reply with quote
mitsui wrote:
I think I will leave next year.
I would like to hear of other experiences on the transition back to the USA.

I think I will move to Hawaii and I will need to get certified, which I am looking into.

I don't think my wife can deal with life on the mainland.
At least she will find work but my concern is the high cost for rent and gas.


Why can't your wife deal with life on the mainland? Is she Japanese? If it's a cultural issue, and Hawaii proves to be too expensive of a destination for relocation, you might consider seeking out multiethnic urban neighborhoods on the mainland.

My wife and I are currently living in a multiethnic neighborhood in the same metropolitan area where I group up, seventeen miles from my childhood home. Frankly, after having lived in four different countries together as a biracial, bicultural couple, we both fit in here much better than we ever have anyplace else.

It sounds like Hawaii may well meet your needs. But if it doesn't work out, I suspect you'll find a number of other suitable options.
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Rooster.



Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 247
PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
At least Oahu is small so it's not like there can be a lot of driving.

I think moving to Hawaii is a good place to transitions, I would just worry about it being too small and expensive. What about Seattle or San Jose?

The main things I would worry about would be boredom, stress, and depression.

Would you be using a spousal/k-3 visa? The wait to get permission to work could lead to the above as well as being away from friends, family, and home. I would look into finding Japanese groups/societies and things to ease the shock. Find restaurants and stores that have familiar foods.
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki
PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 11:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
No can't get that visa. Been married too long.
If I had moved already maybe it would not be an issue.
She won't live on the west coast.

She has gotten stubborn, as she has gotten older and set in her ways.
Lots of Japanese refuse to live outside Japan.
She thinks she would be lonely and get discriminated against, so she prefers a multi-ethnic place.

There is even a Japanese phone book in Honolulu, although Japanese-Americans can be quite cliquey.

At least it will be easier for her to get a job.

Public schools don't have air conditioning, but I think I can get work.
Just got to get certified first.

Think I would just use the bus in Honolulu and would buy a small used car.
I know where to get cheaper food, but gasoline is 28% more.
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esl_prof



Joined: 30 Nov 2013
Posts: 2006
Location: peyi kote solèy frèt
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
mitsui wrote:
She has gotten stubborn, as she has gotten older and set in her ways.
Lots of Japanese refuse to live outside Japan.
She thinks she would be lonely and get discriminated against, so she prefers a multi-ethnic place.


That makes sense. It sounds like you've been thinking through the logistics carefully, so hopefully it will be a viable move.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as you continue the transition back.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 5:02 am    Post subject: Re: Moving back Reply with quote
mitsui wrote:
I think I will leave next year.
I would like to hear of other experiences on the transition back to the USA.

I think I will move to Hawaii and I will need to get certified, which I am looking into.

You probably should post on the N. American forum if you want to know about others' experiences transitioning back to the US.

That said, be realistic about the job market on the islands. If teaching positions in your particular content are scarce, you'll end up holding a useless teaching qualification. (See the Hawaii State Teachers Association.) Additionally, there tends to be an overall hiring preference for locals over newcomers.
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki
PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I wonder about it. There are some bad schools so there is turnover.
Many teachers leave for the mainland to make more money.
One problem is that with turnover or retirement is that many teachers are young and inexperienced, so perhaps that it is good for me, plus my experience with Japanese students could help.

I think my wife could make more money than me as she wants to work in translating and interpreting. In fact I think it would be easier for her to get a job than for me.

For her to get the visa I think I would have to move there and live by myself in order to have a US address which would satisfy the US embassy so she could get a visa.