Holy crap! Someone's read my blog!

Before I go into detail behind the meaning of this post's title, allow me to give you all a kind "Konnichiwa" and a polite bow of greeting. It's once again been some time since I've written here, as I've foolishly let outside interests interfere with my focus here. I can't promise that won't happen again, but I'll do what I can to avoid its frequency.

Now...as to the title of my post, since I don't often publicize this blog's existence to anyone, it wouldn't surprise me at all to know that no one actually reads it. And if they do, they're probably not making an effort to make their visit known to me.

Well, some posts and months back, someone did.

A gentleman by the name of David read my post in which I mentioned not wanting to fly to Japan on anything less than business or first class due to the length of the flight. Here's what he said:

Dude, no offense, but if you're not even willing to compromise on flying economy class, how can you complain about the money?

Japan costs money. Come cheaply, and you'll pay $600 for a round-trip plane ticket, and $75-$100 a day in expenses while you're here. That's the reality of the situation. Save some money, or find extra work. Hope you get to fulfill your dream, but the only person that can make it happen is you.

Now, I'm probably going to sound like a bit of a jack-ass with some of the things I have to say in response to his message, but let it be said that he has a good point in regards to the flight cost. If I'm not willing to compromise on the flight class, how can I complain about the cost? Yes; very good point. And, if someone said, "Scott, you can go to Japan right now, but you have to fly coach," after I'm revived from my fainting spell, I'd probably say, "Coach? Hell, I don't care if you put me in the luggage compartment! I have to go pack!" So, I guess I shouldn't be quite so choosy. I just rationalized that if I'm going to be on a plane for 19-20 hours, I'd rather be seated where I'll actually have room to move around and keep the blood flowing properly...and be able to sleep, of course, since I can't really sleep sitting up, and knowing my luck, I'd end up in front of some person that'll vehemently object to tilting my seat back for a snooze.

Anyway, my points of contention with David's post are the following:

1. "Japan costs money". This isn't news to me; I can assure you of that. I'm more than aware of how much it costs to travel and stay there; I've done a lot of research on the matter, and considered many variables and alterations in the hopes that I'd find the perfect travel plan that would give me the most "bang for my yen". Sad to say, none of them have materialized as truly viable options. So, pointing this out to me is akin to saying, "See that big glowing ball of fire in the sky? That's the Sun. It's hot."

2. "Save some money". Trust me; I've tried. Unfortunately, that pesky thing called "real-life responsibility" rears its ugly head WAY more often than I'm comfortable with, and there goes that saved money. I'm not the poster boy for money management by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know the basics about budgeting and saving, and telling me to just "save some money" for a trip to Japan is like telling a bachelor, "Go to a bar and pick up a supermodel." Just like that, huh? Really?

3. "Find extra work". I've actually applied at retail and grocery stores for a second job, but none of them contacted me, and I was very flexible in my application when it came to availability. And it's certainly not a matter of qualifications, as I've worked 18 years in customer service, so I should be overqualified for just about any job in retail (sorry, fast-food is where I draw the line), and the hours are flexible enough that I could work after my regular job and on weekends. But...no bites AT ALL.

I beg any of you reading these entries to understand one thing very clearly: I'm not trying to make excuses, and I'm definitely not expecting a hand-out here. No mysterious benefactor is going to see this blog, feel great pity towards me, and bestow upon me the financial means to achieve this goal. I'm not going to win a lottery or get the jackpot spin on a slot machine that will break down this concrete wall in my path. I'm not asking for charity. Of course, I should qualify all of that by saying that if any of those things were to happen, I would not only consider myself cosmically lucky, but eternally grateful and thankful. I wouldn't refuse such things; I may not be greedy, but I'm also not a fool.

However, there will be a great satisfaction gained from the ability to make this happen as a result of hard work and great personal effort. I can't imagine a greater joy than taking my first steps in Tokyo knowing that I earned my presence there.