A bowl of instant noodles

Today I continued studying languages. Recent experiences, especially last night, have made a second language feel more important to me. I also bought a badminton racket. I would like to play with friends each week and get good enough that the game itself becomes another way to connect.

To make room for work, language study, and badminton while covering my expenses, I think I need a job with two days off each week. At each stage of life I could learn what interests me, do it well, then share what I discover. I hope depth of research and sharing would eventually support me financially. This way of thinking has formed as I go.

People say experience teaches what a person cannot. But that only works if someone remains willing to grow. Many people face repeated setbacks and give up, withdraw, or try to forget them. A smaller group looks squarely at failure, weighs what happened, and begins again using what they learned. I see this pattern in my investing, in learning another language, and in losing weight. The first two remain works in progress; I have succeeded at the third twice. That gives me some encouragement.

Today I told a friend what I have really been thinking. His practical perspective set my mind racing and brought several decisions closer. Hearing someone describe life in another country firsthand can change what you imagine possible. I want my response to be constructive. Over the next week, I will weigh my choices with care. I do not want a life that simply follows a script.

I wonder what I will think when I reread this someday. I hope my future self keeps an honest record too. I cannot publish every detail, but I will remember this conversation for a long time.

I named tonight’s post after instant noodles simply because I wanted a bowl. 🤣🤣🤣