Well, in all fairness I've been back for two weeks. This weekend marks 4 weeks of being done with my JET work and moving on to new stuff. Two of those were a fantastic vacation all across Japan, with friends American and Japanese, culminating in a last night here, and I've spent the last two reacclimating to life in the States. I've already gained a little bit of weight - thanks a lot, American food - but I've also gained a lot more.My big "reverse culture shock" moment came and went while I was still on a layover in LAX. Creepy greasy-haired LA motherfucker posing as a missionary tried to get me to follow him out the airport, when I had an inkling feeling I was very near my connecting gate. I was. Rip-off exchange rates mean I'm still carrying $90 in yen. The pizza was horrible, but pizza has since redeemed itself with my taste buds.I've moved into 'home' - that is, mom's house. And honestly, it feels fantastic. Mom and I are two highly symbiotic creatures, moreso now that she's quit her job and gone into semi-retirement. She's getting more relaxed by the day, and she's quickly gotten used to having me around again. I'm also working from home! This is the big part. I'm the newest writer at Shacknews.com, one of the big video game news sites. It's a great gig for all of these reasons:-I work from home
-I semi-set my own hours: I work 11am to 7pm right now
-No dress code (my hair already has some fireball red streaks in it)
-Shacknews is a community I was already part of anyway; it's good to contribute to it
-It's a salaried, regular job - no freelance pitching, regular paychecks, and many other things that make other writers jealous
-Air-conditioned workplace (last place didn't have that..)
-Co-workers that speak techie, know games, and can take some smack talkAnd above all:
-I'm doing what I've always wanted to do - I write for a living, and I'm in the video games industry.Usually, I'm humble when it comes to things like achievement, but I've been way too happy with myself to be humble on this one. This really is what I've wanted to do for a very, very long time, and to achieve that goal is intensely satisfying.I got the offer a little over a week ago (yes, 5 days after getting home), and I've now worked a week at the job. It's a little tiring to sit at the desk all day, but other than that it's everything I've wanted from a job and I certainly don't see myself wanting to leave anytime soon.As soon as I got the offer, I caved, rushed out, and got myself an iPhone. As a techie, it's the only phone worth taking seriously. No, really. (Tip: add yourself on your family's plan and pay $40 a month instead of $70.) I've got a new phone number, so I hope you visit my Facebook profile and add me and all that good stuff.More importantly, I've also gained a new appreciation for my family. I'm off to visit my brother (and my new niece!) this weekend, and I've already been in contact with a couple other relatives. And obviously, it's nice to have my mother's sanity return. And next week is a 4-day work week! From here I'm working on visits to Dallas proper (I'm way out in the burbs) and Austin (of course). Here's to seeing you soon!
-I semi-set my own hours: I work 11am to 7pm right now
-No dress code (my hair already has some fireball red streaks in it)
-Shacknews is a community I was already part of anyway; it's good to contribute to it
-It's a salaried, regular job - no freelance pitching, regular paychecks, and many other things that make other writers jealous
-Air-conditioned workplace (last place didn't have that..)
-Co-workers that speak techie, know games, and can take some smack talkAnd above all:
-I'm doing what I've always wanted to do - I write for a living, and I'm in the video games industry.Usually, I'm humble when it comes to things like achievement, but I've been way too happy with myself to be humble on this one. This really is what I've wanted to do for a very, very long time, and to achieve that goal is intensely satisfying.I got the offer a little over a week ago (yes, 5 days after getting home), and I've now worked a week at the job. It's a little tiring to sit at the desk all day, but other than that it's everything I've wanted from a job and I certainly don't see myself wanting to leave anytime soon.As soon as I got the offer, I caved, rushed out, and got myself an iPhone. As a techie, it's the only phone worth taking seriously. No, really. (Tip: add yourself on your family's plan and pay $40 a month instead of $70.) I've got a new phone number, so I hope you visit my Facebook profile and add me and all that good stuff.More importantly, I've also gained a new appreciation for my family. I'm off to visit my brother (and my new niece!) this weekend, and I've already been in contact with a couple other relatives. And obviously, it's nice to have my mother's sanity return. And next week is a 4-day work week! From here I'm working on visits to Dallas proper (I'm way out in the burbs) and Austin (of course). Here's to seeing you soon!