What Is An Expat?

Jeez, I’m so far behind. If I had a schedule, I wouldn’t even be ON it. I’m going to do my best to finish the Ireland crap and move on to, and finish the Tashkent MWR trip before I head out again at the end of July. I’m going to Hungary with some friends.

So anyways, a couple of the highlights forthcoming, post-Ireland….posts. Hmmm….

In no particular order, of course:

• Drunk again, but not as much!
• My Encounter with the Secret Police
• Matrix 2 in Russian
• The Park Named for Alisher Navoi
• How I Kicked Amir Timur’s Ass
• A Day At The Bazaar
• Some Flexible Guy Sticks Sharp Objects in Himself A Lot
• Oh, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
• Bad Luck with Digital Cameras, and You
• There’s Nothing Quite Like Finding Money Tucked In Your Shorts

I have no more credit card debt, paid off the last today. I have only my car, and one last student loan to go. Looks good for being totally debt-free at my year point. I suppose that depends on how spendy I get on the R&R and MWR trips, but it would be close in any case.

I’ve paid off 3-4 credit cards (forget exactly how many, seems so long ago), my GA student loans, and fully funded IRAs for last year AND this year so far, with a nice little chunk in savings for emergencies. I’ve never been in better financial shape, considering the future. I mean before, I’d been in less debt, but it was only getting worse, not better. But I never had savings, nor investments.

I can remember before I came here, thinking in about 6 months I could get my own place and just sort of get by, taking forever to get things paid off (years) but knowing it would eventually happen. Your life can get totally fucked up but it doesn’t have to stay that way. I’ve changed a lot mentally, too. Some things maybe not for the best, but most are. I don’t know that it will ever make up for all I lost, but maybe it was a necessary lesson. Moving forward, I have a hell of a lot going for me. I think of the future, and I don’t know where it’s headed, but I don’t see that as any sort of worrisome thing, as compared to not feeling a bright future coming on those short six months ago…

See! I DO work! Bona-fide action shots!

This was a day when Mr. Satellite decided to drop. I’m on top of a container, and decided to forgo any practice with my “falling off of things” skill. Oh, and it decided to rain, too.

Ok, I’m talking to the satellite guys on the Iridium, so stop talking to me on the radio for a bit! (more…)