almost there

july is finally here. this is sort of the home stretch of my adventure in being unemployed, but the prelude to my adventure overseas. honestly, i've been more concerned about being able to survive here without income than i have been about starting in taiwan. it seems every month there's a new tax i have to contend with, but that's a different matter. i'm pretty well packed up. what i have left in my room is just the essentials. it can be packed up in a day or two.

i have a vague idea of what i have to do when i get to taiwan. fortunately i have some friends who have generously offered to help me out when i arrive. i'm looking at taiwan as a new start. i was reading the other day and i found this great quote from bertrand russell: "in all affairs, it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted."

since i've been out of work, i've really had to rethink the way i spend. i've been trying, although not usually successfully, to stick to a budget and it's finally hit home that little extras here and there every month really add up. since i've been out of work, my monthly spending has dropped significantly, but honestly my standard of living hasn't gone down much. i found out i was torturing my wallet with the death of a thousand cuts. it's a lesson i won't forget.

i'm also looking forward to going back to school. i never thought i would say that, having had six years of engineering, but i'm pretty excited about the chinese program. it looks challenging and intense. it turns out that when i do want to do something, that's kind of the way i like it. i guess the thing to keep in mind is not to burn myself out. self-restraint has always been something i've had to work on.