Mindset & Plans

I've been thinking about the upcoming transitions in my life, and I recently sent this in an email to a friend:

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I know what you mean about visiting temples. I was so charmed by them at first. Actually, even more so by the Shinto shrines. I feel a deeper connection to them than to the Buddhist temples here. But there are about 300-400 temples and shrines in just Kyoto, let alone the other 11 cities and towns I've visited! I'm starting to feel a little burnt out on them. I don't even look at them when I ride by them anymore on my way to lessons. It's taking more and more to impress me! And of course, my time here is coming to an end in 4 months. But in three weeks, my mom is coming with my aunt; one week later, Randy is coming back for 10 days; and then three weeks after that, Matthew Mommer is coming for a week. Needless to say, I'll be seeing plenty more temples and shrines over the next two months... some of them for the second or third time.

I don't know if I'll be back in this part of the world without a limited time, and I finally got 80% of my back pay from last September, October, and November (at last!!), so I'm planning a whirlwind tour, much like I did in Europe. I like to call it my Asian "sampler platter:"

4 days in Shanghai, China
1/2-day layover on Brunei
5 days in Bali, Indonesia
3 days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3-4 days in Cambodia
4-5 days in Viet Nam

Then I was planning on doing Level 1 & 2 at a Thai massage school in Chiang Mai, followed by the weekend class on adapting Thai massage for the table.

Then Randy comes for 15-17 days, so we will take a cooking class in Chiang Mai, go to the full moon party and go scuba diving on Ko Pha Ngang, rest a couple days in Phuket, visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia together, and then stop in Bangkok for a couple days before flying out.

Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. I didn't even mention the trips I'm taking to South Korea for two days to get my visa renewed in April and then to Virginia Beach for my sister's wedding in June (returning here just in time to pack up for a week and get off to SE Asia).

Plus, when I get back to L.A., I have about 8 days before heading up to Oregon to Randy's best friend's wedding. And the weekend after that, I'm hoping/planning to go to Grief and Growing in some capacity, even though it's my birthday weekend. I think it would be great and grounding to go somewhere healing and familiar to me. It's somewhat upsetting though, that it would be the third year in a row Randy and I won't be together for my birthday.

Honestly, I know this is a lot of moving around, but I am ready for a change. This (Japan) has been good for me (of course!), but after finally having adjusted and setting things up, I'm also feeling ready to either sink into it long-term, which isn't what I want now, or to ironically move on to something different.

Another level to it is that will be the 2nd-longest period of time I've ever gone without working since I was 12 years old. I'm a little nervous about no income. I'm saving up now for it all, but I'm also going to have to rely on credit for a little of it. And I have no solid game plan for when I return (where to live? job?).
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SO much is up in the air and exciting on the horizon. The next 6 months of my life are going to be rewarding in phenomenal ways, followed by a long-awaited and well-deserved reunion with Randy. It will be so good to sit still with someone I love by then.