How I started this blog
It had been about half a year that I was seriously burning with the idea of creating a blog, a website, something that was mine and could generate some income. I was sick in bed when a random browsing session on the internet (don’t we know them all?) lead me to Suzi’s ‘Blog by Number’ Course. What she promises seemed too good to be true and I was quite skeptical. That’s why I only got the ‘Free Course: How to start a Blog’ at first. The content was so good and convincing that I ended up getting the ‘Blog by Number Course’. She breaks the technical aspects as well as the strategy and content aspects down in very digestible chunks that are easy to follow and implement. It’s what I strive to do with anything at work so I really enjoyed her approach and the course.
It wasn’t until 8 months after I got the course that I actually went through the material and starting setting up this blog.
Why I started this blog
My original motivation stems from my family’s situation. We live in Japan while my husband is from Senegal and I am from Germany. Both our families live in our respective countries. While we currently love it in Japan, this might not be forever. I want to create something that I could take with me wherever we might go. A business that makes me independent from my corporate job but that also ‘uses’ my current situation.
When I moved to Tokyo in 2017, I didn’t know anything about Japan but I have figured my life out here since, incl. getting married, building a house, moving, having three babies, the beginnings of Kindergarten and school. On top of that, I have been working in Expat Management and have helped so many employees come to Tokyo and set up their new life here. After becoming certified in the COF Assessment and the ‘Crossing Cultures with Competence’ courses I have already given intercultural trainings focused on Japan in-house to many of our new expats. Why not share this knowledge and experience with others to help them set up in Tokyo?
During my time in Tokyo, me and my then boyfriend, now husband, also got married and had our first baby daughter. Trust me – an international wedding and all the documents needed really tests your relationship and intention to get married. It was such a hassle but we made it. So many more experiences that I could share from that experience.
Having a baby in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language can be scary. I didn’t go to any of the international clinics or ‘tracks’ but followed the Japanese tracks. My first baby daughter was born on her due date via a natural birth and without any complications. So was my second two years later and my third.
Last but not least, I have made the step from staff level to the first management level the same year we got married and I had our first daughter. In our company you have to go through an assessment center to become eligible for management level before even being able to apply for positions. The process has taught me so much that I have been happy to pass on to fellow colleagues following the same track after I passed and in my management position where I continue to gain experiences every day.
After 8 weeks of maternity leave, I went back to work so that I have been a working mum in Tokyo for more than a year now. This has its own daily challenges and therefore learnings that I feel ready to share. To round it all off, the CoVid 19 pandemic started just a little after I had my baby and went to work. The experiences I have had due to that feel like 10 years of management experience wrapped into 1.5 years.
The last 6 years but especially last 4 years from when I got pregnant and promoted, have been filled with so many experiences and learning that I would like an outlet for. Hopefully, I can share this with my daughters one day and inspire or help some other women (or men) out there, too.