Current location:	Japan, still
Current music:	Sexy Synthesizer -- ROCK

Australia and BEYOOOOOND!
Hello. Goodness me.

I've had so many exciting adventures lately, but I haven't written about them because I want to tell these stories properly, and doing that takes aaaaages, and I'm too busy having adventures. It's a conundrum!

But I've decided it's better to write short, inadequate entries than no entries at all -- right? -- so here's what I'm thinking. I'm thinking I will try to update this LiveJournal at least a couple of times a week, with just a photo and a couple of sentences. Of course I want to post all my photos, and tell long, thorough tales, but clearly this is not possible. I would rather post something than nothing, because I don't want you guys to feel ignored, or that I'm not thinking about you. I want to keep you in the loop. That's the whole point of a LiveJournal, surely.

What do you think of this plan? I want to know what you think, friends and, to a lesser extent, admirers. So please share your thoughts.

* * *

PATRICK WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE STUFF.

Okay, so. My visa ran out, and I couldn't get a new one. In early January I flew to Seoul and back (and had adventures), so I'm staying in Japan as a 'tourist' until early April. Then I'll be back in Australia for a little while, because I need to see my friends, catch up on my taxes, eat proper sausages and so on. I spent many weeks, late last year and early this year, wondering what my next step ought to be. Then I had a minor epiphany.

My new and excellent job is a web-based job, which means I can work from wherever in the world I like, provided there's an internet connection. And I want to stay in Japan, but I don't have a visa, meaning I'd have to fly to another country every three months. "What a hassle," I thought. "Could I really live like that?" I couldn't get settled -- I'd have to live out of a suitcase; stay in hostels; avoid acquiring material goods; be unable to make serious commitments; see the world; meet hundreds of beautiful foreign women...

Oh.

Ohhh.

And I realised what a rare and fortunate position I'm in, and how jealous any sane person would be of me! I have to take this opportunity -- it would be daft not to. So, yeah: I'm gonna travel!

Why shouldn't I, you know? I don't need to live in one place. This is my adulthood and I can do what I want with it.

So. In the first week of April, I'm gonna fly back to Australia, to stay for maybe three months. I'll probably stay in Brisbane for a month first, hopefully with Rob and Viv, if that's okay with you, Rob and Viv?

Then I'll go to Sydney for I guess a couple of months. I also need to stay with my brother in Wollongong for a week or two, to sort through my boxes of stuff -- hopefully get rid of some of it, and put the rest in storage.

I'd like to stay in Melbourne at some point too, to see Andrew, and also 'cause I never have!

While in Australia, I'm gonna trade in my laptop for a more truly portable model, and acquire one of those new, travel-friendly 12-inch Cintiqs. Then I will pack a big suitcase -- half with clothes, half with art supplies -- and fly back to Tokyo, and live there for three months, in a hostel. (A private room, though -- I want to meet people but I'm not crazy.)

After that -- who knows! I'd like to stay in Seoul for a while, and October would be the peak of autumn and therefore perfect. Plus I have both a sweetheart who comes from Seoul, and a potential 'host family' of sorts in Seoul, so it might be convenient. Then again, I want to see other parts of Asia too! And I really want to travel Europe! Or I could stay with Hayley in London, if she's still there! Who the fuck knows!

So those are my plans, such as they are.

* * *

Rob and Viv: Please let me know if you're willing to host me for a month. If it's not cool for any reason at all, don't worry about it.

Andrew: Melbourne?

All Australian friends: Please email me your phone numbers, because I almost certainly don't have them anymore!

panic [ANT] chickennation [DONT] com

See you guys really quite soon!