Welcome!

This is our final update of 2021 on the Eve of a brand new year.

We are one step closer to our goal – van/car travelling.

What to talk about first?! Well, this is Sasukes blog after all so maybe an update about him 😉 . He is doing remarkably well, reluctantly going for walks and then generally being playful followed by sleeping the rest of the day away. The picture above was taken a day or two ago down by the river and as you can see he is more handsome and cheeky than ever. Every winter he turns into my gorgeous chunky monk(ey) because he stores winter fat. I’ve come to learn this is just who he is and doesn’t need further exercise.

Snow has been hit and miss here in Kyoto and when it has snowed its not really stuck so we have both kinda missed out on the good snow walkies. However. When it was suggested that we go out into the snow shower – his royal snarkiness decided with that ever present look of “you are freaking insane if you think I’m going out in that”, threw absolute shade my way by walking back into his crate and bunkering down for the day. So. No. No snow walks. No Instagram cuteness and idyllic photogenic perfection for Sasuke. No thank you! Sigh. I tried guys.. I really tried.

This period of time off work has been amazing – its the first Christmas in at least 10+ years where I have not had to go into work, think about work, do work or have any association regarding work and it has. been. epic!!! Not only did I manage to complete a 3000 word essay from scratch, but caught up on Journal club articles, signed up for a symposium which I will help set up and speak at. Yeay! Added to that there was at least two whole days of gutting the apartment and throwing things out .. which still need to be thrown out/ collected/ recycled – but they are bagged, tied wrapped and ready to go when collection starts again.

On top of this I have been able to update the Prints section of Sasukes blog, our redbubble shop, opened an Etsy shop, where you can purchase digital prints we took on our travels around Japan, and updated the sketches that I do too. I’ve been able to research further about van life and find cheaper alternatives as there is absolutely no way I am ever going to be able to afford a van plus $70,000 to convert it. How the heck to people afford this?!! In their van?! How do they make money to pay for all their expenses!! Would it be cheaper to downsize here in Japan, get a car and the cheapest, crappiest apartment then take the car, a fully vaccinated Sas and the remaining boxes on a cruise ship to NZ?! Like How?!! Seriously! Even with money saved, driving license obtained, Sas vaccinated and ready to go, boxes shipped and Uni course completed – how the heck to I earn money while traveling, while I get family residency in NZ, get a car/van deck it out and afford to travel?!

Ok. Enough. Point is – a start has been made and we are in this for the long haul. Whatever and wherever that may lead.

We hope that your winter break has been as productive as ours has been – be it cleaning and throwing out the trash (unwanted family members/guests can be included 😉 ) or doing absolutely nothing and completely finding peace with that. Sas and I don’t celebrate Christmas the conventional way, there is no tree or decorations everything is pretty much the same as any other time of year. We just simply spend time in each others company and that is fine by us.

As for New Year – wish me luck I am going to try and coax him out for some simple celebrations up by one of our local temples. Or even just a small walk around the block and I go to the temple by myself. Either way its a way to start our third New Year together and it’s already off to a promising start as neither one of us is poorly.

Happy New Year and we will see you all on the other side.

(Keep up to date with latest pictures and videos on Instagram, at: @Shinzan2019

Don’t forget to check out our shop at: redbubble

… and our Sketches page: commission are open.. https://spark.adobe.com/page/W9LQ0oUCxK1ak/ )