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Moving

The JET Programme: From Pre-departure to Departure

July 20, 2016 by Rika Leave a Comment

Most of you know by now that I'm headed to Japan to teach English as a participant on the JET Programme. I wrote previously about how this was a long time coming (I first heard about it in 2006!) and a basic breakdown of the timeline. This post will be more detailed, and will probably only be interesting to those of you who found my blog while searching for info about JET, sorry! Please keep in mind while reading that I am a Canadian (Vancouver consulate) JET, and things differ by consulate and ...

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Filed Under: Getting Ready, Life, Moving Tagged With: JET FAQ, JET Programme, Moving Abroad, Things to Know Before You Go

So I’m Moving to Japan… WTF

June 2, 2016 by Rika 18 Comments

Yeah, so I know I kinda just slid that in there among all my "I'm leaving Roatan for good blah blah blah" stuff lately... "oh and PS I'm moving to Japan".WTF?(I know, right.)It's actually been a really, really, long time coming. To be accurate, about 10 years in the making! Here's the story.From the time I was a little kid, I have always been fascinated with Japan. Not Asia...not other countries in the area. Just Japan. I wasn't into anime or J-pop, but I was in love with the food, the ...

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Filed Under: Awesome, Figuring It Out, Japan, Life, Living Abroad, Moving Tagged With: JET Programme, Lady Luck

The End of an Era

April 5, 2016 by Rika 26 Comments

At this time I'm usually trying to whip up a belated roundup post, but there wasn't anything to round up. I haven't written any posts. I wasn't even on Roatan. And a lot of big things are happening. So this post is an ode to the end of an era instead.Let's get to the point: I'm leaving Roatan. For good.It's not an easy thing for me to write. Putting something out there like that on my site seems so final, and set in stone. My readers who have followed me on this crazy adventure know that ...

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Filed Under: Expat Living, Figuring It Out, Happiness, Life, Moving, Real Talk, Roundup Tagged With: Just Do It, Milestone, Musings, News

Roatan Rent: What $350/Month Gets You

June 4, 2015 by Rika 21 Comments

Roatan Rent time again! Keeping in line with all the changes I've been making lately, I finally made one that's been a long time coming: I just moved to a new place!(You may remember the other posts in this series - Roatan Rent: What $300/Month Gets You and Roatan Rent: What $400/Month Gets You. These are some of my most popular posts, so I guess people are interested in this...?)I'm on move #8 in three years here which is kind of a lot, but what can I say... I've got itchy feet! The last ...

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Filed Under: Bay Islands, Expat Living, Life, Living Abroad, Moving, Roatan, West End Life Tagged With: Accommodation, Cost of Living, Roatan Rent

On Being A Chameleon

October 6, 2014 by Rika 17 Comments

I've been back on Roatan for a week now (a very busy week! more about this later!) and absence really does make the heart grow fonder. While I am already missing good sushi and fast internet, I am relishing every walk I take down the street that takes me 20 extra minutes because I have so many people to say hi to. Being back underwater has been immensely helpful in getting my stress levels in regular parameters, and I've been lucky to be diving with a shop this week that is...wait for it... AIR ...

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Filed Under: Figuring It Out, Home, Life, Moving, Real Talk Tagged With: Musings

How to Become a PADI Scuba Diving Instructor

July 18, 2014 by Rika 19 Comments

People ask me all the time how I became a dive instructor! I can say that it is not an easy (or cheap) process, but if you have a passion for diving and have the right personality to teach, it's an amazing way to do what you love - and if you want, live in some pretty interesting and exotic places.Since I can only speak for my own experience, this post is focused on how to become a PADI dive instructor. There are many training agencies around the world for basic certification all the way up to ...

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Filed Under: Dive Instructor, Getting Ready, Island Living, Life, Living Abroad, Moving, Real Talk, Roatan Tagged With: Diving, Finances, Fun Times, Musings, Things to Know Before You Go

Roatan Rent: What $400/month Gets You

March 9, 2014 by Rika 24 Comments

(Edit 2019: guys, please look at the date of this post. It's over 5 years old. I no longer live on Roatan and cannot find a rental for you. Do not email me asking about rentals. See my suggestions below if you're looking for a place, or look at my Roatan FAQ page. There are many people on the island working as property managers and they deserve your business!)I had such a huge response to my last Roatan Rent post that I decided to dig through my iPhone photos and do another post on ...

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Filed Under: Expat Living, Life, Living Abroad, Moving, Roatan, West End Life Tagged With: Accommodation, Cost of Living, Roatan Rent

Roatan Rent: What $300/month Gets You

February 17, 2014 by Rika 31 Comments

Want to know all about rent in Roatan? Here's the latest in my Roatan Rent series! (You can check out the $350/month one and the $400/month one for more posts on this topic.) Hello from my new office!!  this is my dining room table. it's on my deck!One of the most common questions I get emailed is, "how much does it cost to live on Roatan?" While I've answered this a couple times already, I know people have different budgets and price ranges than I do. However, ...

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Filed Under: Expat Living, Island Living, Life, Moving, Roatan, West End Life Tagged With: Roatan Rent

I am not a tree. (On changing my house, and other things.)

July 8, 2013 by Rika 22 Comments

If you don't like where you are,change it.You are not a tree.I read the above quote on my friend Amanda's blog and first I laughed. Then the absolute simplicity and truth of it exploded my brain. Think about it, and then really think about it. Unless you're actually a tree (in which case, kudos for getting online and being literate and all that), you have no reason that you cannot change it. Maybe you have reasons you won't change it, or don't change it. But don't ...

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Filed Under: Expat Living, Figuring It Out, Home, Life, Moving, Saving, Work Tagged With: Busy, Housesitting, Milestone

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i’m rika!

hiya! i'm a canadian paralegal-turned-scuba diving instructor-turned EFL teacher-turned digital nomad. i left my cubicle in 2012 and haven't looked back since. i'm a serial expat, but right now i'm back in canada on hiatus for a while. welcome to the place where i say things.

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