TOKYO, JAPAN -- A Bend woman spent her winter vacation in Japan, teaching children to ski in an immersive English language environment. Megan Sinclair is one of more than two-dozen instructors from all over the world, working at Japan's Tsunan mountain resort since mid-December, "I'm over here teaching two sessions of ski camp and acting as a ski instructor and camp counselor. So, it is 100% go time," Sinclair told KBND News from Tokyo, during a break for the New Year's holiday.  

Sinclair was nervous, at first. She's an on-air personality for 107.7 The Beat, and describes herself as a fair-weather skier, not an expert, "Usually, someone who's going to take off for three weeks and teach kids how to ski in Japan knows how to go backwards on their skis really fast and maybe do some tricks. I never thought in my life I would teach it, or have that opportunity. And, fortunately, I ended up getting a beginner team, which was really neat because they had all the basics down, but they couldn't ski better than me."

She says the 17-hour time difference, riding the bullet train, and always being in crowded places take some getting used to. But, the unique experience is worth it. And, while it hasn't always been easy, she says the kids she's teaching make it fun, "The conditions were terrible [in the first session]. We taught the kids how to ski in a blizzard, but I am amazed by the kids. They were so enthusiastic."

Sinclair is now teaching her second of two sessions. But, she says it's what she's learning that makes this adventure so special, "The world is big, but it's not that big. All the people that I've met, that's what's been really inspiring."