I decided to start my own podcast channel recently after hesitating for about one year. This is one of the reasons why I haven't been too active on Cafetalk. 

One of the reasons why I've been procrastinating is that I don't like listening to the sound of my own voice. Apparently, I'm not alone in this. When I asked my students, many of them said they feel the same way. When they listen to their own voice, they cringe. I read somewhere that the voice you hear in your ears and the voice you hear through electronic mediums are different. Voices are waves, and waves change as they pass through mediums. Something like that. 

Even now, after editing and releasing 7 episodes of my podcast, I still feel odd about it. I also start second-guessing myself. "Do I sound this bad?" or "Who would want to listen to this voice?"

Luckily, people have been kind so far. No one has said, "Please stop. Your voice is hurting my ears."

If anything, I've had a few people who have been encouraging me to do more. I feel so grateful! 

As for the reasons why I decided to start my own channel is because after 9 years of living in Japan, I feel like it's starting to feel like my second home. I've learned a lot about my time here, the quirks as well as the ups and downs. Still, the more I read about each topic, the more I learn. 

Then I realized that if you decided to open your mind to something, you'll realize that you know nothing. So, I'm hoping I will be able to understand Japan a lot more by podcasting. 

Plus, if you ever want to train your listening skill, feel free to listen! ^_^

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/aIIo6KSwHxb
https://anchor.fm/introvertinjapan