Get out of your comfort zone!

I finished writing my script for the upcoming In-House Speech Contest at the Toastmasters.
However, the required time is 5-7 minutes. My speech is quite long... Where whould I cut? The opening? Numbers of episodes? or explanations?
Also, I think I should make the ending more specifically. Organizing ideas is the MOST difficult part of making a speech!!

Good evening fellow Toastmasters, and guests.
Six years ago, I was not in Japan. I lived here.(show a map) West Lafayette, Indiana state, in America. My husband transferred to this small city. We happened to live here for four years and a half. I didn’t want to move to this city because I didn’t speak English very much and I enjoyed my job in Japan. I was a wedding emcee. As you know, the one who says, “Here comes the bride and groom! Please join your hands with congratulations!” like that. Speaking in front of people was kind of my profession. But in America, I was like a child who barely communicate with people because of the language.

However, I tried to keep saying this to me, “Get out of my comfort zone! That’s the only way to make me grow.” Today, I would like to share my transition stories from my comfort zone to my challenging zone.
In America, I shifted from English language school, DJ school, college, and the Toastmasters. Not smoothly, but awkwardly.

At the first day of English language school, students introduced themselves. Name, home country, former job, and so on. I didn’t know how to describe my wedding emcee job in English. But my tutor, who was a linguistics professor, insisted, I should say it formally, as “a mistress of wedding ceremonies and receptions.”
MC is the abbreviation, and I am a woman.

However, at the English class, I thought “I am too nervous to introduce myself with such a long explanation!” So, when my turn came, I said,”Hello, everyone! My name is Keiko, I’m from Japan! And…I was a MISTRESS. That’s all!”…I remember the teacher who was an old woman turned pale. Later, I noticed a “mistress” was a woman who dated a married man when I watched the TV sitcom, FRIENDS.

One year later, I wanted to learn the wedding emcee job from American professional. However, in America, there was no “wedding emcee” job. But some American told me, “DJs speak and announce in weddings. That’s what you want to be!” So, I contacted the most popular DJ in the city. The DJ, Mark, accepted me generously, saying, “I will open the DJ school soon. You should come and learn about the job.”
I was very excited and go to the DJ school. When I opened the door, Mark was surrounded by electronic equipment and turned the DJ table.
“Hey, man! What’s up!? Let’s get started!!”
I thought I would learn how to speak properly, but he meant how to turn the music.

Two years later, I found the “voice for the actor” class at the university.
The class was to build well-trained voice. This must be very good for myself, dreaming of a bilingual emcee! So, I started to take the class.

At the first day, the instructor, Stacie, said,
“Let’s play the game to remember your classmates’ names! Make a circle!
Then, say your name and make an action which represents yourself! The next one, repeat the previous one’s name and action, and do your action! The last one is supposed to memorize everyone’s name and actions! Let me start! Stacie! (dance) Next!”
(The next one) “Stacie! Tony! (salute)”
(The next one)“Stacie, Tony,Ron(play the guiter!)”

I turned pale because I was only non-native English speaker, and the last one of the circle! If they had been all Japanese, I would have enjoyed the game.
However, there were Danica & Darci, Brandon & Bryan, and Molly and Holly…a lot of confusing names to me!

“Here is your turn, Keiko!” In contrast to very cheerful instructor, I was desperate to survive there. “Stacie! Tony!Ron! Ah…who’s next???”

After drifting my challenging zone, the last place I reached was the Toastmasters.
A half year later, I became a secretary. The president was Kevin, who owned a farm. At the officers’ meetings, sometimes I told my opinions to members.

(Keiko)“So, I think, the meeting theme has to be decided by the Toastmaster, him or herself. It’s very hard for international people to be familiar with the topics!”
Kevin just nodded all the time, “ah-hah.”
(Keiko)“Therefore…how should I tell it to the Vice President Education? Or should I wait till the next training is over?”
(Kevin)”…Um-huh.”
(Keiko)”Kevin…what do you think?”
(Kevin)”Ah…Keiko, sorry… What did you say???”
Kevin had never communicated with Japanese before, so he didn’t understand my English with Japanese accents!

Despite of my embarrassing situations, I’m proud of myself that I kept challenging. The challenge doesn’t have to be a big step. Even though it’s a just one step further, I bet you can see different scenery you used to have.

Yesterday, I said this to my husband.
“Honey. If you transfer again, I would follow you anywhere in the world.”
He put his hand on my shoulder.
“NO WAY! Japan is the BEST country. I’ll NEVER get out of here even A STEP!!”