its inevitability still baffles me

i feel its genlte breeze blowing over me.
the air smells a little different, people smile a little more and i've found that on a good day, one jacket is enough to keep me warm. it's finally here and i can't wait to indulge in its beauty.
spring brings with it warmer weather, brighter days, sakura (cherry blossoms) and more importantly: change. the six-letter word that has some jumping for joy and others having panic attacks. i've always had mixed reactions to change but lately i've found that i can easily welcome it. i guess it's because the recent changes in my life so far have brought a smile to my face.
eight months ago i decided to leave everything i know and love and move several continents away from home. i've never lived in a different city from my family and now my new home on this island country is literally on the other side of the world. everyday when i look up at the mountains in tottori, i'm either filled with awe, joy or despair- sometimes i'm flooded by all these feelings. since my arrival in japan, i've realised that change can be embraced or rejected depending on how easy or complicated you want things to be for you.
the teacher's room at my junior high school has been abuzz since earlier this month. i thought they were, like me, excited at the prospect of marking 100 days before kick off but it seems they had other issues on their minds. you see one of the most fascinating things about this country is what i like to call the 'job shuffle'. every year in march, employees will announce to edgy employees whether they will be moving to another office of if they will stay for another year.
at 1st the idea freaked me out. i thought: "well that sucks - every year someone tells me where i want to work. very uncool." but then i sat down and thought about this a little more and it seems the japanese are not getting a raw deal after all. say you've been at a job for a year and your boos happens to be hitler's reincarnation or your colleagues are not a pleasant bunch, the 'shuffling' can definitely come in handy. it can also minimise boredom and complacency because just as you want to drift into that comfy zone, you're quickly pulled out. i guess it's like playing musical chairs except when the music stops, no-one is left without a chair.
i watched this week as seven teachers who will leave our school pack up their things. i watched how they folded up the smiles, laughter and jokes they once shared with colleagues and students. as they tuck away their memories into the cardboard boxes, i didn't see anyone sulking. change here is welcomed and embraced becasuse perhaps my colleagues know something i've only realised recently: this force is inevitable and when welcomed amicably can yield positivity. so as the winds of change gently blow and send the subtle scent of spring my way - i can't wait to welcome what it brings.