FROM THE AUTHOR

"Owwwww dammit" I spilled my coffee down my shirt when my eyes landed on the next job on my indeed search list. There's no way, could they really be offering full benefits to someone fresh out of school and a 50K/yr salary? Most recent grads can only expect to make 40 maybe 45 if they really impress someone or have connections, this was too good to pass up. "Hey, you ok in here punkin?" I guess my scream got moms attention. "Sorry, I just saw this awesome position with great pay and spilled my coffee." She chuckles and takes a seat next to me. "What's the company then?" I click the link to the company website. "The Genius Office, that's in Tokyo!" Mom looks at me very seriously "Oh, I don't know punkin, I've been doing my research on a lot of those companies over there since you insist you want to move to Japan and it's my understanding they have a pretty great PR team as is, you sure it's the right one?" I continue scrolling the page, "Maybe someone is moving to another company or planning to retire." She nods pouring herself a coffee with a far off look on her face. "Well you should apply then punkin, I want you to reach for the stars, you deserve them." I give her a smile before typing up a thoughtful cover letter and forwarding my information.
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I take a long drink from my water bottle before starting on stretches. "All I'm saying is it's a little sad the idea of you moving across the world, just promise you'll get a place with space for me to come visit." I give her a bright smile "Of course, I could never just move away and not take into account a visit from my Manda Panda." I really look at her for a moment, covered in sweat as she is from our cycling class Amanda looks so much different now than when we first met back in 2nd grade. She had no teeth in the front, frizzy brown curls, and glasses big enough to belong to a grown up. Now her teeth have grown in she's tamed her frizz and added blonde highlights and started wearing contacts. She's going to be fine here without me, she did ok with me being two hours away at Stanford spending plenty of time with Jacob. She can't understand why I want to move away because she has everything she could ever want right here in our little California town. All I have is mom and she isn't the same as she used to be before dad left with his new child bride barley older than I am. In a way I hope me being so far away will push her to get back out there and live her life, she's still a fox and any man would be lucky to have her.

When I open my email my heat starts ponding. The Genius Office wants me to fill out a questionnaire to determine if they may give me a call for a real interview. I can't believe it, I scroll through the three pages of questions everything seems pretty par for the course. Questions about school, how I would handle different situations, what I feel I could bring to the company. I set to filling it out as best I can keeping in mind the cultural differences happy that the time and effort I've put into learning the langue and customs of another country may finally pay off. It takes me an hour and a half to get the whole thing right, but when I do I feel my submission should be on par with anyone else applying for the job. I make some grilled cheese and wash some grapes for lunch eating alone watching Criminal Minds for the 'plot' when an email notification pings to my phone. My heart stops I don't even pause the show allowing myself to miss out on a scene of the amazing Dr. Spencer Reid being a whole snack. I open the email eyes reading the words again and again in disbelief. They want me to come to Japan for an interview, they give the boss being too busy right now as an excuse to why they are skipping the phone interview stating arrangements for a proper interview should be able to be met by the time I get there and have a day to adjust to the jet lag. Better still they are offering me $500 towards travel expense sent to me via Venmo. I squeal in delight calling my mom on the phone telling her to come home NOW.

Mom has a huge smile on her face as well as tears in her eyes as she helps me look for a suitable room to book not too far from the agency for my interview. I've decided to try to keep the cost as close as I can to the amount the company is giving me so that I can keep as much of my savings as possible for my hopeful move to Japan. I found a place that was only $110 USD/night three blocks from the agency and my tickets were $250 so with the two nights I have booked I'm not too far over leaving most of the 10K I've been saving since I could babysit in 5th grade for a move. Mom helps me to pack for the trip with enthusiasm, she keeps saying they would be crazy not to hire me as all mom's would say. I feel nervous, this could be the start of a whole new life for me, I could get everything I've wanted most my life say goodbye to this small depressing town and move to a place much different than what I've always known. Best of all I won't have to run into my ex Jason anymore and his new girlfriend. Or as I like to call her the little slut who fucks other girls boyfriends when they are busy with school. It's for the best probably anyway, he thought my dream of moving to Japan was stupid.