Since returning, I have been asked many of the same questions, one of them being, “What’s it like to be back?” Until last night, the answer I replied with was truthful, but rather negative sounding:

It’s bittersweet. I’m happy to see friends and family, but I’d rather be back in Japan.

While it’s true, perhaps a better way to express my feelings is to say I’m happy to be back so that I can increase my desire to be in Japan ever more.

In the meantime, I’m homeless and jobless. Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. I’m staying with friends until I find a job, and I have some money saved up to help me.

Speaking of which, that’s sometime I don’t understand–why don’t people these days understand how to save money? Many people I know live paycheck to paycheck and complain about their financial situation. Yet, these same people go out to bars or clubs several times a month, buy $40+ videogames, go to the movies, have $50+ cable bills, eat out every day. If you cut all that back, or even cut it out completely, you’d be in much better shape. And if you charge things to a credit card, make sure you have money to pay off the balance in full each month.