I am moving to Düsseldorf! How could I expect that?
When I decided to quit the community college last year (September 2016), I was thinking that returning home in Tokyo would be my fate and I would go back to the life with crazy hours of work, no vacation, and random people to hang out with. I could've made it better but honestly, I didn't like it.
I almost started to get myself ready for it and told most people back in Japan that I would come back for good. No wonder, my mom was the happiest. It's easy to see that your mom would be relieved and happy when she knows you're coming back home from overseas. Having her kids where she can reach (not by a plane) them must mean a lot to her. And/but of course, she tells her kids that we should live our lives any way we want and wherever we'd like to live in.
If the trial for our divorce would've been taken place in 6 months as our expected, I would've left Germany right away which was the mid November and started to work in Tokyo. (and I was going to come back to Germany just to get the trial done.)
In Germany you cannot get divorced without a lawyer and standing trial and it usually takes at least 6 months until you are officially divorced. So that's what we have expected.
Looking for a job and an apartment in Tokyo had started. In the process of shifting my path back to the home country, I was beginning to get excited. A life in Tokyo is very hectic but not only that.
There are people who love me, skyscrapers and fun places to go. Brunch and shopping with friends? Yes please!
There came a letter. We opened it and knew the trial on 14th December.
"I have to stay longer then." but we didn't have to wait for 6 months.
Our case must've been the easiest one: No kids, no shared property, no nothing to argue over. That was a quick move.
The trial took about 10 to 15 minutes and done. How fast and too soon.
In just 10 minutes you are divorced. Can you imagine that?
So, yes I had to stay a bit longer for it and during all the process of divorcing and thinking about my life, I got to spend more time to focus on myself.
"Do I really really want to go back to Japan? Is it really OK that I just go with the flow and start working life like before? Do I want it? Do I really think this is the only way to live my life?" The answer was No.
When the "No" popped up in my head, the idea of returning home got no longer steady. It's like a giant flower with a very thin stem. Suddenly the stem got skinner.
Ok, then there must be a way to revive it and get it a new life.
I haven't lived my life to the fullest in Germany yet. I didn't want it to end just a long struggle and I'd say "it didn't turn out well" back home. No, absolutely not. This isn't how my life in Germany ends.
What have I done here?….- Nothing so far. …Then let's get something started.
So far I've clicked all hits of links by exhaustive search. Contacted CEOs, registered recruiting websites and uploaded my resumes, went to a job center and had a couple of counseling, and all responses were also NOs.
Cool…. What am I doing wrong? A question "Am I just useless?" almost crossed my head from left to right but I stopped it halfway. "No, don't think like that. you've just started" so I stopped thinking negatively.
"Why not change the place for the search?"
I insisted on Frankfurt area (and Mainz a bit) for its convenient access but then the second option: Düsseldorf came into my sight.
I know there are a lot of Japanese and wanted to AVOID that area. Simply because "Why would I go where Japanese are living? Then I'd fly back to Japan".
But I guess, if I wanted to stay in Germany and work in Germany, putting myself in Düsseldorf wouldn't be a bad idea for a start off.
My brain made the sound "Ping". Now the direction is Düsseldorf.
Then again, job and a place to live, better yet, survive. Go search.
The result screen turned immediately red-purple from blue links. Just like when you search and click down all gossips, actually histories about what Donald Trump let slip from his mouth. Different? Anyway.
Contacted the real estate agencies, owners, advertisers for an apartment and a shared flat…and registered in an employment agency and Skype interviews. No luck. Nobody responds me over a week. Or is it actually good luck? Is something bigger waiting for me? Ok then let's put it that way..
One day, getting lost in despair, my friend in Paris said "let's FaceTime" and we were on the phone. She introduced a SNS called InterNations (https://www.internations.org/about-internations/) to me.
I clicked clicked and clicked to add people to my contacts hoping someone becomes my friends.
Then the next day..I guess that was on 6th Feb…a guy living in Düsseldorf sent me a message and we started to chat. About my search on jobs and a place to live.
He tells me he's living in a shared flat owned by a Japanese man and sends me the website.
I didn't wait to contact him and BOOM, in an hour he replied to me.
How much time have I wasted on German agencies? Seriously.. -_-
We continued exchanging messages and fixed an appointment to visit the room the day 8th! Holly shit, so fast.
We went to visit them on 10th and saw everything. I got to talk to his wife for about 1,5 hours with a cup of coffee and we are set. I will move in there on 16th.
This went so fast! All my search paid off.
After we said goodbye to them, at 7pm, we went to a café/restaurant for dinner.
In a nice lit room we tasted the drinks.
More than anyone, I have to thank Jan for literally ALL support he gives me even after our divorce.
I couldn't thank you enough.
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