Finally, Goto Islands

Facebook Post on June 14, 2023

The youngest child safely arrived.

Pushing two suitcases, when he came out alone from the arrival gate,

"Wow, well done!"

Behind the introverted youngest child's smile, there was a sense of accomplishment in undertaking a solo international trip that even his older brothers had never done before.

And finally, we are at the final destination; Gotō Islands.

Already deeply moved by the kindness of the locals.

The young English assistant language teachers from the local area whom I had met once last year, were holding a sign at the arrival gate to welcome us. So sweet of them!

A fellow from a car dealership, neither a taxi driver nor a representative from a travel agency, came to pick us up at the airport and we got a cool standard-drive Honda minivan.

His mother at the car dealership was surprised,

"You immigrated from Canada?!" and quickly gathered necessary items, such as toilet paper, saran wrap, local-specific garbage bags, and towels.

Indeed, experienced housewives know what makes other housewives happy.

When we arrived at our accommodation, the owner's family brought a super cute welcome gift consisting of one cucumber, one zucchini, and four small potatoes to our room.

It was a shower of kindness.

However, there's a problem. I haven't been able to update my resident registration. Having lived overseas for 23 years has become a tough hurdle than I expected. Not being able to transfer my resident registration means, I am homeless right now.

And that means I can't get a cell phone or an internet contract. Without a bank account, I can't sign up for a cell phone contract. And to open a bank account, I need a phone number. My Canadian credit cards are often rejected due to fraud prevention.

To get a phone number, I need a resident registration. To get a resident registration, I need an address and a phone number. What can I do?

Right from the beginning, I've encountered problems that are making me feel discouraged... Of course, there are worries that come with this kind of big move, but it's truly reassuring to know that I have support, even with things like one cucumber and a tiny little heart-shaped beach stone.