It seems that all too often I have the urge to begin a posting with some sort of self-effacing apology for the amount of time that has passed since my previous post.  If i could, i would be posting on a daily basis...there is certainly always some event or conversation that inspires deeper thought and meaningful action, there is simply often very little time to write about it.

I actually have close to 100 entries that I have gotten most of the way written, but never returned to for long enough to finish...there is always something else that grabs my attention.  Since I was young, sitting in Ms. Loper’s class at Trinity Lutheran, I have wanted to write.  I managed to track down some of my earliest writing last week, some of it was ok, some was lamentably horrid...to the point of being hilarious.  I found the book I wrote in 5th grade, bound in cardboard covered with a poster I pulled out of one of the LEGO magazines...a story about LEGO men who came alive in my desk at school and their Toy Story-esque journey to return to their LEGO kingdom under my bed.  I saved the book...I think my mother will appreciate it.

I have been doing alot of thinking lately.  Each of us has a point in our life where we pull out the road map we sketched on the paper of our intentions so many years ago.  We might sit down on the light charred piling of a partially flamed bridge, spreading the map out of the dry grass of our spirit, and take stock of what we have accomplished.  We will turn the map around in our hands, wondering what troglodyte wrote down the directions to where we thought we wanted to go...trace the lines with our finger to the final destination, and then with a start realize that what we thought should be the destination half a decade ago it not nearly where we want to be now...but all of our actions for the past few years have culminated to bringing us to this point.  We might turn the map over, scanning it for where we really want to be, maybe looking at an inset or in dire circumstances referencing the key...and once we find it, beginning to trace a new path from where we are, to where we want to be.

This is something I have been doing lately.  I have looked at my life for the past half decade and decided that I am pointed in the entirely wrong direction.  What worse, when I looked at the map and found where I want to be...punched it into my little GPS, I only got the message, “You can’t get there from here.”  So, with that in mind, I have decided to move.

I want to pursue a career in writing and photography, as well as go to school to eventually get my degree in classical history and underwater archeology.  Unfortunately, this is not something i can do from where I am right now, there are too many distractions and things demanding my immediate attention.  I have decided this is going to require a total changing of scenery.  In light of that, on Monday, July 19th, I am boarding a plane in LAX destined for Taipei, where I switch to a plane headed to Bangkok.  I have completed the enrollment process for an english school on the coast of Thailand, and I will be there working my way towards my goal of attending school in Italy.  

I can already hear the gasps of amazement and frustration from some of my clients, and before everyone freaks out about their websites and the services I supply them, please read on, as it is relevant to your concerns.  One of the things I have always prided myself on is my work and the services I provide to you, my clients.

There will be NO interruption in your service, and I will be around to take care of your websites and art requirements.  I will clearly not have an office you can stop in at, but this will not greatly affect what you need.  All server fees are paid up for a minimum of 12 months, and there will be no change in your website or your hosting due to this change.  Your websites will remain up and functioning exactly as they were before, and I will still be just a phone-call or e-mail away.  My same business line that you have always called in the past will still remain in effect, and will ring on my desk in Thailand.  Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, not much will change for you other than the ability to walk upstairs and knock on my door.  

Some of you have heard rumors of this, or I have mentioned directly.  I didn’t want to put it out in the open until I was sure it was what I was doing, and that final confirmation came Friday, so here is the corresponding post.  

To help finance this trip, I am selling everything I own except the absolute essentials and some things of sentimental value that are being stored at my family’s place.  Everything being sold is listed at eBay in the link below.  Whatever does not sell in the next week will be taken to the swap meet next week, and the remainder will go to Goodwill.  Please take a look, and let me know if something interests you.  

I am also selling a ‘99 GMC Suburban with 160k on it.  I am looking for $3,500 for this, though I will entertain other offers.  If you would like more info, just ask.  There will be a much more in-depth post about this probably tomorrow.

Finally, while I am funding this trip mostly by selling things, I can always use any sponsorships or donations you would care to make.  :)  Help support CrimsonCannonball overseas by using the PayPal link on the left.  Thanks and I will speak to you all soon!