not done with this yet...
dear friends,
my first official update!
i arrived in japan a few days ago, after having a most hectic weekend. i finished my bags, cleaned my room and said good bye more times than i felt was necessary. Often, I felt weird when i'd say bye, and then a couple hours later show up again, tricked ya, i'm not actually going to japan, i'm just in love with the attention. heh heh, no. but thank you all, for all the help, a million times thank you. i realize what good friends i have when i am in need and my friends willingly support, you all have made me feel very loved.
and so i'm off, leaving portland on a beautiful gray day, i know spring is coming and i'm sorry i will miss this part, of the season and of the social interactions, but i'm going to have my own interactions, and i know japan will be wonderful as well. 31 hours on a train, mostly i made up for the lack of sleep of the last week, maybe ten hours curled in a ball. the train is wonderful, there are electric plugs every where so i get a chance to make an awesome playlist for my trip, i study japanese, and re pack my bags. i realize the first of the many things i'm bound to forget, my sleeping bag, oh damn, that's a big one. it's cool tho, sara's coming to japan right as i start the biking aspect of this trip, she'll bring it to me, cause i have awesome friends, and i would be helpless without them.
on the train i have the first of what i expect to be many amazing conversations, with a lady who left her medical job in olympia to pursue a romanic relationship with a guru in san diego, who's going to teach her how to live a little slower, and to let go of what she thinks is necessary. at first i think she's a bitch, she's kinda complaining about the service, about the lady who's working the snack carts below, who i believe has the sexiest voice, like a female Mychal from the CCC, oh man "...we'll be selling blankets at the snack cart for $15, i'll help you warm up those chills...", But this didn't seem to work on my blond olympia friend, and so at first i just let her sit next to me and recharge her phone in silence. but me, i'm a talkative person, and so when she started to engage me, with talks about the jaded medical system, and how people need to responsible for the quality of their lives, and that people, especially in the service of others, whether it be medical or social service, need to know that once they reach the point of thinking all the world is fucked, need to get new jobs, i thoughtfully set down my japanese lesson, and had a conversation. it's a privileged point of view, to assume that people have all the choice regarding their profession and how they see the world. but what we don't all think about when we discount statements as privileged, is that most of us are privileged, a lot of america is, and so god damn it, take responsibility, you have more choices almost anywhere in the world, maybe not as much as the jet setting trust-ifarians, but you are responsible for your life and if you're not doing what you want, then you need to change. i agreed with her, it feels like many times in my life i've had to make that change. sometimes i stupidly wonder if ill ever be happy with what i have. still, my journey that i'm leaving on, it is very much a decision to try to change something i don't like about myself and my life, i'm going to take responsibility for my issues,
my first official update!
i arrived in japan a few days ago, after having a most hectic weekend. i finished my bags, cleaned my room and said good bye more times than i felt was necessary. Often, I felt weird when i'd say bye, and then a couple hours later show up again, tricked ya, i'm not actually going to japan, i'm just in love with the attention. heh heh, no. but thank you all, for all the help, a million times thank you. i realize what good friends i have when i am in need and my friends willingly support, you all have made me feel very loved.
and so i'm off, leaving portland on a beautiful gray day, i know spring is coming and i'm sorry i will miss this part, of the season and of the social interactions, but i'm going to have my own interactions, and i know japan will be wonderful as well. 31 hours on a train, mostly i made up for the lack of sleep of the last week, maybe ten hours curled in a ball. the train is wonderful, there are electric plugs every where so i get a chance to make an awesome playlist for my trip, i study japanese, and re pack my bags. i realize the first of the many things i'm bound to forget, my sleeping bag, oh damn, that's a big one. it's cool tho, sara's coming to japan right as i start the biking aspect of this trip, she'll bring it to me, cause i have awesome friends, and i would be helpless without them.
on the train i have the first of what i expect to be many amazing conversations, with a lady who left her medical job in olympia to pursue a romanic relationship with a guru in san diego, who's going to teach her how to live a little slower, and to let go of what she thinks is necessary. at first i think she's a bitch, she's kinda complaining about the service, about the lady who's working the snack carts below, who i believe has the sexiest voice, like a female Mychal from the CCC, oh man "...we'll be selling blankets at the snack cart for $15, i'll help you warm up those chills...", But this didn't seem to work on my blond olympia friend, and so at first i just let her sit next to me and recharge her phone in silence. but me, i'm a talkative person, and so when she started to engage me, with talks about the jaded medical system, and how people need to responsible for the quality of their lives, and that people, especially in the service of others, whether it be medical or social service, need to know that once they reach the point of thinking all the world is fucked, need to get new jobs, i thoughtfully set down my japanese lesson, and had a conversation. it's a privileged point of view, to assume that people have all the choice regarding their profession and how they see the world. but what we don't all think about when we discount statements as privileged, is that most of us are privileged, a lot of america is, and so god damn it, take responsibility, you have more choices almost anywhere in the world, maybe not as much as the jet setting trust-ifarians, but you are responsible for your life and if you're not doing what you want, then you need to change. i agreed with her, it feels like many times in my life i've had to make that change. sometimes i stupidly wonder if ill ever be happy with what i have. still, my journey that i'm leaving on, it is very much a decision to try to change something i don't like about myself and my life, i'm going to take responsibility for my issues,