Back in the Saddle

I've been meaning to start posting regularly again but each time I sit down to write I'm unsure what to share. I'm still living in New York with my sister and brother-in-law and still really enjoying myself. I'm 1,000% less stressed than I used to be and 99% happier. A week or so ago I decided to get serious about looking for a job and now I have a couple of interviews coming up next week. I'm half glad that it appears to be coming together pretty quickly and half wondering why I ever wanted a job so badly! The chilled out life is really great.

I bought a car this week and I pick it up on Wednesday. It looks like this and I'll post a picture when I get it. It feels good to have one of the big three things on my list (job, house, car) wrapped up. I meet with my realtor on Tuesday to start the house search.

I'm anxious to get settled and to get my stuff out of storage in Portland. When I know what my permanent living situation will be it will be sent out to NY. It is going to feel like every Christmas and my birthday all rolled up into one when that shipment comes. I mostly miss my PC because I can't update my iPod without it (and if you've been reading this blog very long you know that my significant other is my iPod). I really miss my Japanese stuff - pottery, paper, byobu, noren, tansu, tenegui, everything. It will also be interesting to finally see everything I put in storage four years ago when I went off to chase adventure in Japan.

I'm contemplating a final vacation before joining the working world again, although it's going to depend on how quickly or slowly the job situation works out. (Speaking of vacations, the last time I was in Hawaii, I saw a guy at the Waikiki Marriott with a great t-shirt that said, "Support Gay Rights" in capital letters. It was simple, colored blue with dark blue or black writing on it. Anyone know where I can get one of these? I've been searching the Web.)

I haven't known what to write about being back in the US and about missing Japan. Being back is going better than I thought it would, and I miss Japan much more than I thought I could. Beyond that it's difficult to put it all into words even though I think about it all the time. I'll keep trying because I think it's important for me to do so. Until then, I'll try to do memes, lists . . . anything to get me writing again!