The next step

Holy Crap, ladies and gentlemen. Today, at 9:46 am, I bought my plane ticket to Taiwan. I am going. It is final.

I had failed to mention prior that there has been a slight alteration in my placement. Instead of going to Taichung, I was offered a position in a school with better accomodations, though it is in a smaller town called Maioli. I faxed off my contract today, bought my plane ticket, and Friday I secure my visa. This is happening for real.

If you know me, which I believe most of my readers do, then you know that I have had a pretty long sting of get out of my job free schemes. I was going to move to CA. I was going to open my own bookstore, then my own coffeeshop, then my own restaurant. I have been working on a book, a collection of short stories, and an autobiography since about 1998. When I undertake change, I don't do anything small.

Still. This is HUGE. This weekend I attacked my apartment with a fairly primal fury, tossing clothes, knicknacks, and general junk into the "To Trash", "To Sell", and "To Store" piles. Did you know I had around 200 books just hanging out in my apartment? 200 books!!! Wow I am a packrat. Uprooting my life is proving to be a new and unusual challenge. I am ready, though. Finally, I think I have completely accepted that not only is this happening, but I am doing it to myself. And I kind of like that.

Oh, did I mention that the new school is providing me with a bicycle? How cool!

Anyway, that's the most recent news in my upheaval. Thank you so much for your support in this new, weird, and slightly terrifying chapter in my life.