February 20

Post 748, Day 51 of 2013
 - and 782 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

First of all, I apologize for asking everybody to leave a comment, and the comment feature seems to be broken. I didn't make any changes to the options, but the comment box doesn't open. Please keep trying, and feel free to email me, or if you're on Facebook, message me (don't post, that's too public).

OK. That bit of of business is done.

Another thing I've found while planning to move overseas, and doing research, and talking to people about it: In the US, we have no idea what living in other countries is like. We never hear anything except sensational stories, political/war stories, or natural disasters when it comes to other countries. We don't know about day-to-day life in other places.

And day-to-day life is not what you see when you're on a vacation, any more than what you do on vacation is your typical behavior, at least not if you're like me.

A lot of the expat stories I read or hear begin with a living or working assignment in a foreign country, and a surprise at finding that there is something about being in that foreign country that is attractive, and compelling. Today, I read the story of a Peace Corps volunteer who was assigned to Ecuador, and had to look it up (it was pre-internet) in an encyclopedia to find any information about it. 

Once she got there, she loved the country, ended up marrying an Ecuadorian, and 29 years later she acts as a guide for other expats, sharing her knowledge and love of her adopted country.

I have read the stories of other seekers, people who tried out several places, and found one that worked for them. And stories of people who tried out a place, it worked, but they got restless to see other places, and it led them to wildly different lifestyles in different countries, or, in one case, to become permanent travelers, spending 3 months at a time in a place, and then going to the next, sometimes coming back, sometimes not. 

When you have few permanent possessions, as you must when you travel, it is not so difficult to uproot yourself when you get bored, or succumb to wanderlust, or find yourself in a less attractive situation than you were in when you decided to stay in a place.

At least, that is what I think - these ideas resonate with me. Could I be wrong? Could I be overly romanticizing? Could I be emotionally, economically, or physically unprepared for this adventure? 

Yes. But I won't know until I start my boots-on-the-ground initial phase of retirement.

Please leave a comment if you visit my blog. Thank you!

 Food and Diet Section

First-half year 2013 daily weight

Today's Weight:         207.6 lbs

Yesterday's Weight:     207.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      + 0.2 lbs

Diet Comment

The same as yesterday, to all intents and purposes. I would have lost weight, but for the late night fat-fest (mayonnaise) and the earlier cookie-cheat.

Was today better? Yes.

Food Log 

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
At Ling-Ling's Chinese Buffet and Grill:

Brussels sprouts, kimchee, and, from the "Mongolian Grill", my go-to dish, pork and chicken with bean sprouts, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, snow pea pods and broccoli.

Snack
Pepperoni and celery with home-made mayonnaise.

Dinner

Natural turkey burger on cauliflower with Rajma Shahi (red beans and tomato curry). Not shown: Spring Mix, baby spinach, cole slaw mix salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Liquid Intake   

   Coffee:  20 oz.   Water:  90+ oz.  

Please leave a comment if you visit my blog. Thank you!