Nobody Told Me
A J-1 Exchange Teacher's Honest Guide to Your First Year in America
Dr. Janice Maraviles Edwards shares everything she wished someone had told her — the culture shocks, the paperwork, the small moments that caught her off guard, and the lessons that made her stronger.
About This Book
Arriving in America on a J-1 visa is one of the most exciting and disorienting experiences a Filipino professional can have. Nobody warns you about the small things — how to open a bank account before you have a Social Security number, what American grocery stores actually look like, how to navigate a healthcare system built on insurance cards you don't yet have.
Dr. Janice Maraviles Edwards lived all of it. As a J-1 Exchange Teacher in New Mexico, she kept a running list of everything she wished someone had told her before she arrived. This book is that list, organized into the real phases of your first year: before you leave, the first week, the first month, and the moments that define whether you thrive or just survive.
This is Book One of The Arrival Series — written not by a consultant with a checklist, but by someone who made the mistakes, figured out the workarounds, and is now sharing the map.
Written For
J-1 Exchange Teachers, Filipino professionals on US visas, international educators
About the Author
Jon Edwards, M.Ed.
US Navy Veteran · AI Enablement Consultant · Instructional Designer
Jon Edwards spent 20 years in the US Navy, then built a career in instructional design across healthcare, financial services, and enterprise L&D. He founded Tanta Holdings LLC in 2025 — a four-company system built around the global talent and immigration space. His books are written from practitioner experience, not theory.
Learn more about Jon →Get Your Copy
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