A wise Japanese street artist/alcoholic once told me this, and it's always stuck with me.

It's time for me to take a deep breath and decide exactly what I want right now. Nothing too concrete, nothing that forces me to imagine something that I don't believe is possible.

I want to imagine something that can feel real, something that is just outside my grasp right now but could be within it at any moment.

I want to keep my grind alive, but to be able to focus the next year on my writing, my podcast, my music, and connecting with people.

These days I've been pushed by circumstance to consider leaving Japan. It's been causing a lot of wobble in my vibe, back and forth, back and forth. I imagine staying one day and leaving the next. It's not good for me.

The fact is, everything is working out, perhaps not according to plan, but perhaps even better. It's true I am reaching the end of my reserve funds, but if bitcoin has taught me anything it's that things can turn around at any minute and that when things get bad, it's just an opportunity to get stronger and level up the grind or make a change.

I'm going to do what I can to stay here for the time being, but I've decided that either December 2022 or more likely December 2023 is going to mark a year of travel and expansion. I'd prefer not to forfeit my visa status in Japan or to head off without any regard for what I've started building here, and so that's why 2023 is looking preferable to me, but in the end I won't say no if the universe calls me to go sooner rather than later.

I enjoy teaching and I'm happy to start an education based company if I can do it on my terms. Either way I want to start going all in on my other work, my stories, my songs, my conversations and the work of connecting people and helping them understand each other. Eventually I feel like these will all overlap, but it seems this is not the time just yet.

The original plan was to start a company here that allowed me to turn Japan into a base and then focus on other passions once things were up and running, and try to merge them over time. Now I am starting to feel that I need to feed my passions and let them grow large enough to let me build a company which is already earning money from the very start of it's inception.

At some point soon, I need to stop dreaming about travel and actually do it. I feel that time is approaching, even as it looks least likely on the surface.

Whether I find enough private students and a way to ensure another 1 year visa without employment, or whether I have to work a more stable job that will help me find more students in the future, I will be ready soon.

For the longest time I wasn't sure if I could travel because of health reasons, but right now I'm feeling that I could be ready within a year. I feel that in my bones. I am feeling that multiple 1-3 months trips are going to be a thing for me as soon as I set foot outside of Japan.

Thailand keeps popping up in my awareness right now. It was Indonesia two years ago but I still feel called to go there, and so both of these countries will probably be first, being that they are closest.

India is feeling more and more of a place that I need to visit, although the details aren't clear yet. It's just such a relevant country and the home of so many philosophies and so much culture that is worth connecting with.

Africa is still calling and will continue to call, as is South America, but I feel these are two destinations I need to do justice. I want to make sure I go when I'm truly called to go. I am not sure what form it will take, but I'm dreaming of an alternate to Hivefest that perhaps I could try first in SE Asia and then later help to organize in Nigeria, and maybe even one day in Venezuela.

I would love it if I could organize a group of hivesters to travel to these places with me and connect with the local meetups to make something a bit more special. I hope I can find more artists and events to meet and participate in. I will be bringing a tiny guitarlele at least.

I feel that the recent problems with work exist for the sole purpose of helping me to imagine more travel and more freedom in the future. My partner is now looking for work, I've asked her to take care of herself so that I can have some freedom to live life as I'm inspired to do, and she will feel much better being able to take care of herself too.

Things may look bad at the moment, but they are still on an upwards trajectory. I am not deterred.

Oh, and here is a show I'll be playing on Friday. Broke a string today...it's gonna be a rough performance, but sometimes rough is good. I will put my soul into it.

🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
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