entry zwei

Got a call from the consulate today and I need to get a lot of papers pieced together to make it on time.  It's stressful, and the cold here doesn't help.  While everyone else is going back to work and school I'm completely committed to starting a new life overseas.  I didn't remember this process when I went to Korea in 2008, but looking back it was a similar frantic feeling.  I was in the warmth of Missouri in summertime, however, and this made it much easier: to find peace of mind all I had to do was walk along the nice fences of Town and Country, where I could hear fountains and watch horses. 

The year of the horse is what makes all of this daunting, by the way, because that is why it is hard to get things done right now.  I completely understand and accept this, but it shows the challenge that awaits.  I'm experienced now and more determined than ever, but it is a rough thing.

I have more to say about everything, so much more.  So much in fact that just today-- I finished-- my novel.  My second one, in fact, which took way less time and was written completely by hand, unlike the yearlong snooze job I finished back in 2008 (my year, the year of the rat).  This one only took about seven months and I regret not keeping track of the date I started.   Like so much that I write I picked it up and then put it down one day last summer, the end of june and the beginning of july.  Man I was inspired those days. I had returned from a coast to coast road trip--San Francisco to Virginia Beach-- and I sat outside in the warmth (ahhh warm Wisconsin summers) working on my thesis, when I got on this long personal rant.  Sure enough I picked up the legal pad later and added more, flirting with the idea of making it a novel.

Before long I carried it everywhere and spent every free moment writing each of the 99 chapters slowly, waiting patiently for the right words.  But here I am seven months later, 400 handwritten pages (I estimate 150,000 words) and all of it looks good and makes sense.  Now the long boring part--typing it begins.  At least this will mark the first time I've read it completely through.  I have a long reading list this year but I get to start with the man I know best.

much much more later

justin