Time to go...seriously.

[Ran]

NO NATE You cant leave me my half azn brother! Dude there's got to be another reason for all this.

i'm preggo

lol, everybody thinks I got my girlfriend pregnant or something. I assure you, it's nothing like that.

I'm just tired of putting this off and I'm about at my limit. I'm ready to do this and not look back. When I leave, if my Yaris hasn't been sold by then, my parents will be left with the car to do as they please. My VA check can cover the payments and the insurance if they want to keep it. I recommend they sell it. The rest of my stuff (stereo, minifridge, futon, DVDs, ect...) will also probably be for sale should they see fit. I just don't care about this wordly sh*t anymore. I want to go and really live my life.

[The Yousef]

I just don't care about this wordly sh*t anymore. I want to go and really live my life.

are u joining a monastery?

[Ran]

are u joining a monastery?

No, I'm not that far gone man. Like I said man, it's not really a spiritual thing. At least I don't think it is. I just want to really get out there, you know? On my own, walking around with really nothing to lose. Again, I can't really say what I'm looking for, but I'll know it when I find it.

You can live your life here you know. This country is huge and there's lots to be found here...

Perhaps, but I'd rather go to somewhere I want to go. Someplace different, with an actual culture and past. Maybe I'm just looking for something new. Either way you take it, I don't plan on being in the US for a hell of a lot longer. Thanks for the insight though Marty.

[Ran]

A friendly PM from George got me talking and I'm going to go ahead and spill it here as well, to try and answer any oncoming questions. If you want to know anything else, just let me know.
________________________________

Reponse to Mr.Nemesis:

I dunno man. You could be right. I could get over there, blow all my money away and be stranded with nothing to my name but the clothes on my back and begging for food. On the other hand, I could get over there and have a life-making experience. I could find a purpose, a lover, or a life. Maybe I won't find anything at all and I'll just come back home. However, weighing the goods against the bads, I think it's worth it.

We've all got to die someday, but I'd rather go with the peace of mind that I least looked for who I was. Can you understand that? Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic who has watched way too much anime. I don't know but I really don't care. I'm selling everything to my name and I'm going to find a new me. That's all there is to it.

[ShooterMcGavin]

Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic who has watched way too much anime. I don't know but I really don't care. I'm selling everything to my name and I'm going to find a new me. That's all there is to it.

i mean seriously, it's cool that u want to go and look for urself, i mean (no offense, seriously) i'd get tired of living life here too if all i had to look forward to was racer wholesale and working w/danny every day but japan? it'd make more sense to me if u were to just travel the whole damn globe or something. to concentrate solely on japan tells me that anime shit really did take u over the edge.

[Ran]

but japan? it'd make more sense to me if u were to just travel the whole damn globe or something. to concentrate solely on japan tells me that anime shit really did take u over the edge.

lol, I'd be lying if I didn't think the same thing. Maybe it has finally driven me over the edge.

Seriously though, I've been considering doing this ever since I got out of the Army. I'm just tired of putting it off. So now I'm going to do everything I can to make this a reality as soon as possible. If you want to help, great. If not, that's fine too, just don't try to stop me.

[ShooterMcGavin]

If you want to help, great. If not, that's fine too, just don't try to stop me.

don't get anyone on here wrong, i doubt any IA'ers will try to stop u, i mean when it comes down to it, it's ur life (and we just don't care that much ). just want to throw enough shit out there to make sure u've thought everything through.

[Marty]

Perhaps, but I'd rather go to somewhere I want to go. Someplace different, with an actual culture and past. Maybe I'm just looking for something new. Either way you take it, I don't plan on being in the US for a hell of a lot longer. Thanks for the insight though Marty.

Look, if you want to go to Japan because it's cool, say you want to go to Japan because it's cool, don't make up other reasons.

In America, there are different cultures, with LOTS of history. How many states have you lived in? How many states have you lived in by yourself? How many states have you visited? (and not just a weekend or driven through)

[Ran]

Look, if you want to go to Japan because it's cool, say you want to go to Japan because it's cool, don't make up other reasons.

I personally think Japan is cool. I really like their traditions, their culture and such. To say that I'm going to Japan simply because I think it's cool is a bit shallow tough. It may be true subconsciously, but I like to think there's more to it than that.

In America, there are different cultures, with LOTS of history. How many states have you lived in? How many states have you lived in by yourself? How many states have you visited? (and not just a weekend or driven through)

I personally don't see America as having any actual culture at all. I see it nothing more than a giant glob of other cultures, mixed together in some bastardized stew. Sure, different places will be different and the people will change, but it's just not the same man.

I don't know man, and I'm not going to try and force you to understand. I chose Japan because of a fascination. Because it's a place that I actually dream of exploring and discovering on a personal level. If you want to say that I just think it's cool, then that's fine. I won't judge your view or opinion and I'll respect it.

Well... good luck Nate. I want to do something similar (contrary to me being so anti-jdm, I am very much a japanophile). Where in Japan would you go?

Thanks man.

Flight would land at Tokyo International Airport, from there I'd start southbound into Shizuoka.
Then west and south into Nara.
North into Osaka, then westward through Okayama, Hiroshima and into Yamaguchi.
From there I may or may not continue south to hit Nagasaki and Kagoshima.
Start back north to Shimane then follow the coast until I'm able to come back and hit Kyoto.
North again into Ishikawa then follow the coastline until I hit Aomori at the northern most tip of the mainland.
If I don't hop a boat to Hokkaido, then I'll start back south into Iwate.
Stay consistent to Fukushima and finally to Chiba.
Return to Tokyo may be an option at this point depending on finances and other developments.

The goal is to basically walk a circle around the entire country.

i may be speaking for myself.. but i think most people in our age group.. (unless they are in college or have an incredible job) become complacent with their lives and we all just tell ourselves.. well someday i'm gonna do this, and i'm gonna do that.. and i'll have the money for this.... yet we don't do anything to work towards our goals. so we just become more and happy and more unhappy....

EXACTLY! I'm sick and f*cking tired of being like that! I've been like that my entire life and I hate myself for it. F*ck that! I'm tired of feeding myself this dillusion that I'm happy when I'm not.

[StupidBikerBoy]

Good luck!

All I can say is, best to make a move now while you are young. If you wait it'll never happen. I passed on a few chances like this that I regret, but now I have a family and it makes things like this much harder.

Also, I am interested in your Yaris. Get some pics of the other wheels up when you can. I'll be in touch if I can make it happen.

I hope everything works out for you.

[Ran]

leaving the #1 country in the world to go where ? What the fuc* you smoking?

Nothing man, nothing at all. Just going my own way is all.

All I can say is, best to make a move now while you are young. If you wait it'll never happen. I passed on a few chances like this that I regret, but now I have a family and it makes things like this much harder.

EXACTLY! I don't mean to point out your past regrets, but that's exactly the thing I'm trying to avoid. I'm sure your family makes you happy now though.

Also, I am interested in your Yaris. Get some pics of the other wheels up when you can. I'll be in touch if I can make it happen.

I hope everything works out for you.

I should have new Yaris pics up before the end of the week, and thanks for the words.