Scary

This moving to Japan business is supposed to be a whole lot easier than our previous adventure in Italy. We speak the language, we’ve lived there before, we’ll be close to friends, it’ll be a doddle. And yet I find the prospect of moving there just as scary if not more so. Perhaps it’s just because I’m that little bit older. And there is the same fear of failure: what if it doesn’t work out? What if the visa doesn’t come through? What if they turn me back at the airport? [Embarrassment is a powerful driver of middle-class society I've decided.]

When we went to Italy, we just lumped onto the plane and headed over. With a 5-year-old and a one-year-old in tow! Looking back I can’t believe we were so naive. All in the spirit of adventure I guess.

So compared to that:  Japan for two years, so what? And yet, it still feels like a Big Thing. Ruby in particular isn’t too enamoured with the prospect of leaving all her friends behind. At least we’ve got Skype, not to mention msn, Facebook and Twitter so she won’t feel too isolated. She’ll just have to be nice to me if she wants me to let her use the computer, ha ha.

T minus four weeks and I’m feeling a bit tense.

Are we doing the right thing? Will it be worth the expense and effort? Will the children be scarred irreversibly by the experience?

Yes, yes and quite possibly; but who cares, it’s going to be the best fun.

Just so long as my visa comes through.