As of December 4th (yesterday at the time of this writing), I have begun work on my second Master Degree, this time in Instructional Design and Technology. I have a Bachelor in Asian Pacific Studies (Japan focus) and an MBA focused on International Business, but unless I'm planning on returning to Japan (which I'm not, as my son likely would not handle that transition well), I am faced with looking elsewhere for careers and ideas on where to live. It has become obvious to me that I am not going to be able to afford a home at the current pace of the housing market in this country, so if I wish to retire in any way, shape or form, I am going to need to relocate overseas where the market is not quite so hot. I have looked at different countries and chosen a few as potentials, but realized that without something to make me stand out as useful to that particular country's needs, the likelihood of getting a work Visa are low. As such, I have chosen IDT as the direction I wish to head in, as this is a need regardless of where you live or how the country does things.

Along the way, I am rejuvenating my brain to think in terms of academic presentation, remembering how much I actually enjoy learning new things that I had no idea about before, and getting back into the habit of taking notes, surfing the internet for references, and then writing whatever needs to be written. If, somewhere along the way, this reignites the coals that my creative writing urge currently rests at and fans them back aflame, I will be happy to write something (anything). For now, it's a tentative step trying to get those coals to light with Boudicca.

For what it's worth, I hope you are doing well. I hope your creativity is driving you to new feats of storytelling, art, music or whatever it is that drives you. It's been a bit of a rough year for me, so I am hoping that taking forward steps, even amidst the hurricane gale blowing against me, is something positive.