A time of anniversaries

You know that feature on Facebook that shows you memories of posts and events that happened in past years on this day?  I sometimes get a kick out of seeing what was going on, especially from college when Facebook was so different then.  Heck, I was so different!

Today had some sweet reminders.  A friend's wedding pictures, a message written in the sand, and a creepy recipe just in time for Halloween.  One post however, was unexpected.  A reminder that 7 years ago, my world was rocked and the results set me firmly on a path that led me to where I am today.  

Just over 7 years ago, I was working a steady job I could picture staying with for the rest of my life.  I was looking at buying a house and finding permanency in a town I adored.  Then I got sick.  I don't even know if sick is the right word.  That makes me think of viruses and antibodies and take enough medicine so you'll be better.  This was nothing like that.  This was a waiting game and the unanswerable question of "Why?"

With it came a shift in priorities.  A feeling of restlessness.  A realization that you can be a healthy 24 year old who can still have a brush with mortality.  That life is too short to put off dreams you'd do "someday."  And so I stopped looking at houses.  Eventually I started looking at jobs that would allow me to travel.  And one day I sat down with a friend who asked me what my ultimate dream would be to do with my life.  Who then called me out on my excuses for why I wasn't pursuing that dream.  

Just over 4 years ago, I fulfilled that dream.  I left the US with just a backpack (okay, maybe a big backpack and smaller one) and started to travel the world.  I've lived in 5 different countries, become a certified PADI Dive Master, learned to ride a scooter, discovered that oreos are a universal treat, hugged a koala, been to visit the States twice, and so many other memories and events too numerous to count.

But traveling isn't just about the crazy stories and epic adventures.  There are the lessons learned.  About other countries, other people, other beliefs, other things outside of my own little bubble.  Expanding that bubble and in the process learning more about myself.  The power of silence.  Learning to be in the moment with my body, mind, and spirit.  Finding the balance of planning and going with the flow.  Realizing that my overall well-being is more important than a paycheck.  That always on the go is fun, but some constancy also has its place.  Having the ability to say yes and the choice to say no is a freedom like no other...And the lessons continue (and re-teach if I didn't learn it the first time).  ::grin::

So as I write from the comfort of my trailer in Kanagawa and get ready for bed to prepare for a new week of teaching English at my Japanese international kindergarten, I can't help but feel awe for how an event 7 years ago changed my life in more ways than I could have imagined.  As Corrie Ten Boom's sister said, "Thank you for the fleas."

Photo Roulette 1

Hello everyone!  I'm trying something new as a way to share some of my stories and photos.  I'm going to pick a random jump drive (because I have so many) and pick a file to talk about for a few minutes.  I'll then share the photo on here along with the video I made.  I thought this would be a quick and easy way for me to go through my probably thousands of photos at this point.  It's been daunting to know even where to start.

So here is my first attempt!



And here's the actual video I was talking about...

If you're curious, you can take a look at their website HERE.

You can also check out other videos on my vlog HERE!

Obon and an announcement

I'm going to keep this short and sweet or else it will become another item on my To-Do list.

I'm sorry for the quality of the audio.  I'm not sure if it made that scratchy sounds because of my a/c running, my computer running out of memory, or having the volume up high.  Hopefully you can still enjoy it.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

So many pictures!!!

I have hundreds if not a few thousand photos and videos over my 3.5+ years of traveling.  A mix of ones I've taken and others I've received from friends or been tagged by mutual friends.  My old computer was great for storing them (a chromebook) because I could put them on Google Drive and access them anywhere.

But then my computer started to die.  My Drive started to reach capacity.  Aww, crap!!  What am I gonna do now?  The old answer used to be burning data on discs, but not only does that become cumbersome to carry around, I don't even have a disc reader let alone a disc burner.  And so I have resorted to USB drives (which I have always called "jump drives".  Why?  No clue.)  Some Daiso shop tags later and I've got backed up photos and even slightly organized ones at that!

Now ideally all the drives would stay in the nifty little fox bag...

Of course now instead of a bunch of cds I now have a bunch of USB drives, but it gives me some semblance of order especially after I started dating them.  Although to be fair, the first one is called "Everything before Japan".  Even then it's still relatively easy to find pictures as I organized them first by country and then by city. 

I'm sometimes terrified I'll lose a drive or my camera will magically delete a bunch of photos.  A legitimate concern as my old camera did it once during my first trip abroad.  I paid the ultimate price for an amazing photo of the Sistene Chapel.  I try to balance this fear by not taking many photos.  I find I remember a place or event better if I have fewer photos.  Sometimes I just take 1-2 pictures to represent something that happened...and then write about it.  We don't make photo albums like we used to so even after taking a bunch of photos, sometimes they are never seen again anyway.

One solution to preserving memories would be to print copies of the pictures.  That way if I ever lost the drive, the file became corrupted, or the drive broke, I'd still have a paper copy.  But that would mean carrying around tons of paper or mailing them back to my parents and having them sit in a box for an indeterminate amount of time.  Instead I find other ways to preserve memories such as writing in my journal, making a post, or keeping a memento I then put in my journal (and hopefully make some sort of note about).

This little journal is bursting at the seams!

An idea of what some of my journaling as morphed into

It's an imperfect system as sometimes my self-discipline is lacking, but Hey!  It's a work in progress!  And this post came about because I was bored and wanted to see some old pictures of my first time petting a kangaroo.  So I will also leave you with this.....

You know...chilling at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary with a kangaroo

**Please Note: All photos are property of Kira Zebroski**

Not for re-use without prior consent and approval

And this is why I teach

We have less than 2 weeks until our school year ends.  My little four-year-olds are getting ready to move up a level and we've been talking about all the new responsibilities they will be undertaking.  We've reminisced about how far they have come this year.  This is my first year at the school and for some, their first year of schooling.  These kids have kept me on my toes as we learned to find a common language to understand each other as well as just being their little three-year-old selves.  ::grin::  There have been tears and laughter a plenty and I don't think I'd trade more of one for less of the other as it's all a part of growing up and coming together.  Words can't describe how bittersweet it is to see this school year end.  I am so incredibly proud of how our class has grown both on an individual level and as a whole.  They are curious, animated, boundary-pushing, sweet-hearted students who challenge me to learn something new everyday.  I'm so excited to see them getting ready to step up while at the same time I just want to keep them in my class just as they are.

We asked them today who they would like to have as their teacher next year.  Teachers can change grades from year to year and students don't know until just before the new school year.  I named different teachers in the school, but this is what I heard from one student. 

      "Teacher Kira, I want Teacher Kira for (their grade level) next year."  

That short sentence said it all.  The positive impact I hoped to have on these children.  To share my love of learning and exploring.  To teach them the independence in making their own choices and accepting the consequences.  To support them as they learned to stand on their own.  In that moment, I felt like we'd reached these goals together.

And this is why I teach.