Hey there! If we haven't met before, my name is Shannon! 

In my first post, let me introduce myself so that you get a sense of who I am and what I do.

I'm a half-Japanese and half-American from Rhode Island, U.S.A., currently living in Kobe, Japan. I'm a freelance translator and yoga instructor, occasionally dabbling into design, videography, and content creation. Essentially, I do almost anything and everything in my creative capability to help people and businesses in my community. 

I like to hike, if you can tell from the photo above. It helps that I live in Japan  where 70% of the archipelago is mountainous. I also like to throw on my overalls to farm (which hopefully someday, I will do full time). What a contrast from my corporate days, click-clacking my heels through the streets of metropolitan Tokyo. I guess that lifestyle just really wasn't for the small town girl I truly am. 

After growing up behind a corn field (sadly now developed) for 18 years, I was given the choice of either joining the U.S. Military (like my American Father), or going to a university in Japan (where my Mother is originally from). Both were exciting choices, but my 18-year-old self was more drawn to the idea of traveling outside the country.

In 2012, I waved goodbye to my teary-eyed family and jet off to Tokyo with just two suitcases. I always imagined that I'd return to Rhode Island (or at least, somewhere in the States) after graduating university, but every year I'd tell myself, "just one more year". After a decade, I've just about given up and accepted the fact I'm likely settled here for life. 

Like I briefly mentioned, I did the 9-5 corporate days. I did many months of 9-9 and even the grueling 9-"last train" (around midnight). As rewarding as that life was, I left it for many reasons (future post?), and now work freelance as a translator and yoga instructor and in the other creative genres I mentioned in the beginning. 

The #goal for the future is to own a farm and to live a near self-sufficient life (I know this is MUCH easier said and dreamed than done). Owning a few alpacas would be a plus. Knitting my own sweaters from my future alpaca's wool that I dye with my own flowers and vegetables would be a plus plus plus plus plus.

I’m not entirely sure yet of what I will be posting as blogs here, but I have a feeling they'll be pretty random or mostly end up being on crocheting, and knitting… 

You can find me on Instagram @shannonspiration for my life in general or @shannonspiration_studio to take a peek of things I create. I also post some photos on @kodawari_snaps of my amateur film photography. 

Thanks for reading! 

Shannon