Homeland.

Saturday, I’m taking my partner and heading to St. Louis. It will be the first time I’ve been back since I moved to ECC. I am really looking forward to visiting. First, I get to introduce my girlfriend to my best friends. People I spent 20 years building friendships with, and then suddenly abandoned when my career changed, and I had to move cities. It’ll be so good to see them again. I get to go to my old AA meetings, Sunday and Wednesday, my mixed meeting and my men’s meeting. People I love and miss.

I get to check in on my house, which I am renting out to a former colleague. She painted and did some minor remodeling. I told her to go ahead and make it her home. I want it well taken care of, so I’m not charging her a great deal for rent. I could probably get 20% more than I’m getting. But it pays the expenses and my tenant is fabulous, so I have no complaints. I cannot over-emphasize the value of an empty-nest, government-employed, former Navy Commander who wants the place long-term as a house tenant.

I’m going to run in Forest Park. Something I never did while I lived there. I’m going to take BB to my favorite places in the city. She has to go home Monday evening, but I’m staying for a few more days. I have an appointment to get my tattoo updated with Japan (日本国), Bermuda (Bermuda), and South Korea (대한민국). I was going to get a larger more colorful tattoo too, but I’m still not sold on my design. I need to design something that’s more meaningful before I ink it. And I should find an artist in ECC I trust instead of having to fly to St. Louis to get ink done.

I’m fuzzy and confused at the moment. My brain is soft and unfocused. I haven’t taken any time off since my trip to Asia, and that was five months ago now. It’s easy for me to get wrapped up. I don’t work so hard that I have no time for me. I take plenty of me time. And I don’t have kids, so I don’t need to worry about that either. I have plenty of time to cook and to work out and to sit in my jacuzzi. I really can’t complain from a lifestyle perspective. But I do need some time off so that I can walk away from work and let it all go for a few days in a row, to refresh my perspective.

It’ll be good to go find my connections in my homeland.