My everything!

I can't believe that's all my stuff!!

Bye-bye, dorm!!

It's hot, it's hot!!

Hey Guys!

Before we get started, let me share a quick tip.

If you're learning a language

I wanted to let you know about a website called italki.com

This is the resource I used to find a native speaker

who's teaching me italian,

But if you're looking for custom, 1x1 lessons

in Japanese, English, or another language

check the link below to see how you can get a free lesson.

Hello, Everyone!

It is 33 degree celsius! (91 F)

Frickin hot...

and ridiculously humid...OUT THERE!!

So I'm kind of afraid to go outside

I think I'm going to end up

having at least 4 bags

This is my last weekend here in the dorm

So I'm trying to bring

as much stuff over as I can today

and if they're anything left

I'll bring it next week

But next week I don't really have time to move

So I kind of need to get this all done now.

Impossible!!

But yeah, this is the dorm!

You may have seen glimpses in other videos

there's a sink,

a bathroom,

a desk, a refrigerator,

and a bed.

Oh, and an air conditioner, of course.

Hey, baby!

It's totally liveable

it's just also very small!

I am moving in this freaking weather

I'm tryin to wait for the sun to go down

but I can't wait because it's like

I either go now when the sun is up

and there aren't that many people on the train

or I wait until the sun goes down

and it'll be really crowded with rush hour

So, I'm going to be really hot and sweaty no matter what.

So I might as well go now when there's less people

to witness THE MOVE!!

TIME TO GO!!!

[ MOVING DAY]

[ HOWEVER! ]

I couldn't even make it down the street

my stuff was too heavy so

we are taking a cab :)

I made it~~~~

I just wanna like roll around~~

Ah~! I have SPaCe!~!!!

[APARTMENT TOUR]

I MADE IT!!!!!

Hello, everyone!

Welcome to my new apartment!!!

It's pretty bare though!

But I got the majority of my stuff here in 1 go

I have to go back next week

to like move out of the dorm and like

close things up

and that's when I'll pick up the last odds and ends

and do a final clean up

But for now, my main luggage is here.

The other day I posted photos on Twitter

and there was someone who commented

"Can you explain how you got your apartment

and the whole process and share your tips with us?"

I thought that's a great idea

so I wanted to briefly run through the whole thing

and let you know how that went.

So my case was not standard at all.

Basically, I moved to Japan 3 months ago

and before that

I started sending emails to all my old host moms

and families and friends

and I let them know that I'm moving to Japan

I'm starting Graduate School

and I'm moving into a dorm

but very soon after I will need to move out

and find an apartment.

One that's dog friendly and has space for everyone

And one of my host moms, like an angel, reached out

and basically said "I think I have a place for you"

and she basically put me in touch

with someone that she knows who rents apartments

and was gracious enough to rent this huge space to me

and on top of that, there was no ridiculous Key Money

or 3 months up front or first and last months rent,

like, I didn't have to pay 3x my rent just to move in here

she basically understood that

I'm in the middle of a huge change

and was so gracious by letting me rent this apartment!

Pretty much zero, hassle-free!!!

Yayy~! And I'm SO greatful!!

Usually, the way it works in Japan

is that you need to have a guarantor

so you need to have a Japanese person vouch for you

or you need a private company that will do that for you

to make sure that if you do leave Japan

and like you bail and never pay your rent

the landlord or landlady is guaranteed

that they will be compensated still.

In addition to that you usually have to pay

Key Money, 1st months rent, etc.

you can almost pay up to three months rent up front

so, I was able to come here

and able to come to this apartment

which is dog friendly, huge and bright

wonderful and set up and really cheap

which is a huge help!

I was able to get all of that simply because

of one specific tip.

I said this in a video before but

I think one of the most helpful things that you can do

whenever you come to Japan

is to really take care of your relationships.

So if you stay with a friend, or a host family

or if someone does you a favor, whatever

if you get along with them, even remotely

as long as it's not a bad experience,

keep up that relationship.

For me, my host mom who set up this apartment for me

and guaranteed the whole thing and got it set up

I lived with her almost

It was 2009... so...

2016 minus 2009...

seven years ago!

I lived with her seven years ago!

and ever since then

I sent her christmas cards, birthday cards, emails

During Japan's Great Earthquake, in 2011

when that happened I called her immediately

probably jammed up the phone line which wasn't good

I called her immediately and was like

how are you doing, are you ok?!

I have a lot of host families here in Japan

and I try to stay in touch with each one of them

and the video I posted last week about going to Kyoto

and carrying the shrine in the parade

I had some comments asking, how did I get to do that

its because I stayed in touch with that host mom

and I lived with her SIX years ago!

Like, these are OLD relationships that

I try to keep up with, even to this day

So my advice to you, is basically,

if you meet someone

and your experience is remotely good

make sure every year,

keep a record of their birthday or at least new years

know their email and their physical address

try to keep up with them at least once a year

and keep the relationship going

because if you keep up with people

you almost ensure that they'll be there for you

if you need them in the future

and if you're really fortunate like I was

you may even end up with a ridiculous situation

that probably shouldn't have been given to you but

thank you so much because I'm so happy!!!!

My life just got so much easier.

I can actually focus on my studies here.

Here in my own space!

So that is my advice to you.

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See you guys next time~!!!