An Obligatory Introduction post

I'm not the most experienced/knowledgeable person with regards to the greater Tokyo area, and I'm not really a tourist (lived in the area for over three years) so why start this blog thing, now?  There are a few reasons... but I think the most prominent ones that have inspired this movement can be summed up in bullet form:

 

- Happiness:  Never in my life have I been happier with my life, to include my place in my professional career, the place I call home (Camp Zama, Kanagawa; less than an hour from metro Tokyo), and the friends and family around me who truly make every moment full of fun and discovery.  Being so happy, I would like to share some of those things we've all discovered together, and those things I've learned from some very cool people around me.  If I can somehow enable anyone else, whether tourist, local resident, or fellow government employee in Japan, to find more happiness/fun in their stay in this place of beauty (in every sense of the word), the purpose of this web space has been fulfilled.

 

- Contradiction: In today's world more than ever, it seems like innocents suffer while the guilty go unpunished.  Genuinely good people are largely ignored while the loud obnoxious ones seem to grab all the fame in social media, etc.  I'm far from perfect, but I believe my approach to life is firmly grounded on the kinder, gentler side (even if I tend to stand and walk apart from the traditional path of heroes) and I want to show others, even if just a few others, that happiness can be achieved this way, without being rude or taking anything away from someone else.  I'm still pretty quiet, but I'll make every effort a meaningful one from here on out.

 

- Outreach: Even though today's world is much more connected than it was even just a decade ago, and information readily available at the grab of a smartphone, there are things one would still only discover by word of mouth, connecting with friends in the area, listening to their stories and then using that information (or that friend) as a key to open the door to a new adventure.  I know that even today, there are more than a few bored guys/gals sitting in my neighborhood wondering if they truly know what's out there in the big city like I was a decade ago... I'd like to give those people a written/illustrative glimpse into many of the things I've been so fortunate to experience.

 

In case you're trying to get to know the mind behind this web space (me), you'll run into all kinds of contradictions.  The upcoming (or past, depending on when you stumble on this) pages will tell enough about my person but here's a few basic facts that will go undisputed:

 

- Engineer/project manager/planner working at the Directorate of Family Morale and Welfare (DFMWR), US Army Garrison Japan, Camp Zama

- Love music, video games, anime, photography, and fun

- Never want to leave the Tokyo, Japan area

There are a few others, sure, but those will become apparent once the true sharing gets underway.  Have fun and please enjoy the stay!