Welcome

Dear friends and family,

I'm not gonna lie - I think blogs and lima beans have a lot in common. For the record, I kind of hate lima beans. I have always been mildly (though not militantly) opposed to blogs. I'm what the "techies" would probably term a 'blog-basher.' That said, I can't help but see the irony here. With a heavy heart, I find myself prepared to do the unthinkable - to create and maintain a blog of my own...

After thinking about the logistics of trying to stay in touch and keep you all informed of what's crackin' over in Japan - blogging seems like the most effective solution. I'll be posting some smarmy, feel-good stories as well as some fascinating observations and bits of information about life in Japan that have little to no application to your current day-to-day lives... *right*

In all seriousness, the only obvious drawback to having my company pick up a tab for an 85 day trip to work, train, and hopefully play in Japan, is that I will miss my peeps here in the U. S. o' A. This blog will hopefully help me to stay connected to the people that are very important in my life. I want to communicate, albeit in part, the ways that I'm learning, growing, and changing through the challenges and experiences I have abroad.

While I'm over there, the best way to contact me will probably be via e-mail or AIM. If you don't already have my contact info:
EMAIL:
jh_pitt@yahoo.com
jhughes8@gmail.com
AIM:
numbuh11

I'll write another post when I get over there with some of the specific how and why this trip came about...

(I'll also come up with some clever catchphrase to end these posts with...or not.)