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Hoser
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Toronto, Canada
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 Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:53 am Post subject: Post-vacation blues |
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| Anybody else get this? I've just come back from a one month stay in Canada. Been here three and a half years and never felt any homesickness whatsoever. Usually I can't wait to get back to Japan and this time I was fairly ambivalent. But I wasn't really wanting to stay in Canada either. I feel like I really got a good case of the post vacation depression or something which is strange because I'm not very emotional and I never feel depressed. But I've been doing a lot of loud sighing these past few days. I suppose what I really need is for school to start back up so that I can get back into a routine or something. Or maybe it's because I'm starting to feel that I've reached a point in my life where I need to make a concrete decision one way or another. Anybody else get what I mean? |
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TokyoLiz
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:10 am Post subject: |
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Dude, school will start soon, you'll have more human contact that you know what to do with, and it'll be winter vacation before you know it.
I stayed here all summer for the the third time in 7 years, and really enjoyed it, but I missed people from home. Dang.
Soon, the craziness will begin, and I'll be wrapped up in teaching, prepping, seito shido, setsumeikai, mountains of marking. I won't have time to think about what I'm missing.
Good luck this fall! |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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| My blues come from having a completely unproductive couple weeks off, now I have to scramble to keep up with lesson prep, organizing things for returning home, etc |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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| I suppose one has to actually have a vacation to get pre or post vacation blues... |
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southofreality
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 579
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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Returning from a vacation to a position you're not really excited about, knowing it'll be awhile until the next vacation... that's enough to bum anyone out.
Maybe it's time to step up and make a change, particularly in the direction you've been wanting to go. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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I am enjoying a staycation this summer, so I don't share your feelings. However, why don't you go out and treat yourself to some things you can bring back here with you, whatever suits your fancy. You may feel better about coming back and enjoying them here. That may help.
Enjoy,
s |
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parrothead
Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 342
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I'm starting to feel that I've reached a point in my life where I need to make a concrete decision one way or another. Anybody else get what I mean? |
I think I know what you mean, Hoser. I have lived in Japan for a similar length of time and perhaps have always had one foot in the door and one foot out the door, unable to fully commit myself to this fine country. I suppose there comes a point when you have to decide whether to get in or get out. Is that what you are trying to say? For me it's the same thing with ESL. The longer I work in the field, the less likely it seems I will ever do anything else. I'm not unhappy about that, but perhaps I felt differently 10 years ago. Now I am in my early thirties and more thought needs to be put into my future in this field, this country, and garnering higher qualifications. There are consequences your thirties can't run away from the same way your twenties could. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:03 am Post subject: |
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| parrothead wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I'm starting to feel that I've reached a point in my life where I need to make a concrete decision one way or another. Anybody else get what I mean? |
I think I know what you mean, Hoser. I have lived in Japan for a similar length of time and perhaps have always had one foot in the door and one foot out the door, unable to fully commit myself to this fine country. I suppose there comes a point when you have to decide whether to get in or get out. Is that what you are trying to say? For me it's the same thing with ESL. The longer I work in the field, the less likely it seems I will ever do anything else. I'm not unhappy about that, but perhaps I felt differently 10 years ago. Now I am in my early thirties and more thought needs to be put into my future in this field, this country, and garnering higher qualifications. There are consequences your thirties can't run away from the same way your twenties could. |
I think I read somewhere that the 3 - 5 year period is an odd one in Japan because you are sort of between being a long timer and being a newbie. In most industries, after three years is when you go from being a junior (insert name of job) to an intermediate (insert name of job) and you won't be a senior (name of same job) until the five year mark. (That would make me having just been promoted to 'senior gaijin' though!  ) |
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Hoser
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| southofreality wrote: |
Returning from a vacation to a position you're not really excited about, knowing it'll be awhile until the next vacation... that's enough to bum anyone out.
Maybe it's time to step up and make a change, particularly in the direction you've been wanting to go. |
Nope that's not me at all! I love my job and I can't wait for it to start up again  I think my folks miss me though and that's put me on a guilt trip.
I've only sighed a couple of times today however so things must be looking up! |
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Hoser
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Toronto, Canada
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azarashi sushi
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 562
Location: Shinjuku
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| Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:34 am Post subject: |
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Hey Hoser!
I'm glad you're starting to feel better. Are you back at school on Monday?
Just in reference to your original post... You're not the only one who suffers from post-vacation blues. I'm a big sufferer too! I think the most drunk I've ever been is on the Narita Express from Narita into Shinjuku after a holiday! This summer though, I didn't go anywhere, so the feelings of depression aren't so strong.
But it's not just Japan... I think it's totally normal to feel a little down going back to your daily routine after a long and exciting holiday. Holidays are all about freedom and your daily routine is well, exactly that... a routine! And after three years in Japan, you don't have the novelty factor anymore to get you through.
I don't if it's just from reading this forum, but I've always felt since being in Japan, that WE GAIJIN almost become like cardboard cut-outs of real people ... We have to be happy, smiling gaijin, who love absolutely EVERY SINGLE thing and minute of being in Japan 24/7 ... There's kind of this atmosphere I feel, sometimes, that if you ever complain about anything or have a bad mood, or get sick of the taste of miso, dashi or soy sauce (as the flavouring for everything), then you're a Japan basher and should just get the hell out of the country.
I think too, more so than any other country, there is a really huge difference between short term Japan and long term Japan. It's easy to get caught up in the whole veneer or politeness and niceness here. I think after a while once the novelty wears off, you start to see beyond the veneer of politeness and the real reality of Japan starts to kick in.
Anyway, perhaps it is time to change careers or countries or some other aspect of your life. Only you can decide that though. My point was simply that if your feel down or depressed for a moment, it's totally normal and you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:54 am Post subject: |
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I love the lolcats- and the loldogs  definitely the best thing if you need a laugh.
Post vacation blues- I wouldn't really know what that's like either since I've worked all summer- this is a busy time for my line of work. |
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flyer
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 539
Location: Sapporo Japan
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| Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:02 am Post subject: |
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| yeh, I am finding it harder than normal to get back into mu routine |
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anne_o
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Posts: 172
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Oh yes!! I hadn't been home for 3 years and just came back from the States....to no job!!
I've started interviewing, and that's enough to push me a little farther under...ugh!
I do enjoy time off, and am not a work-aholic in any way, but a job and some 'normalcy' will make me feel much better I guess  |
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anne_o
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Posts: 172
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:19 am Post subject: |
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Oh yes!! I hadn't been home for 3 years and just came back from the States....to no job!!
I've started interviewing, and that's enough to push me a little farther under...ugh!
I do enjoy time off, and am not a work-aholic in any way, but a job and some 'normalcy' will make me feel much better I guess |
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