A Visit Up North

I was finally able to string together a few days away from my busy life of fishing and running on Zamami to go visit Cliff and Vaughn in northern Okinawa. The goal of the trip was to see their houses and lives in their semi-remote villages. But the alternative - and ultimately successful - goal of the long weekend was to hang out with some Japanese girls who are friends of Cliff.

[Cliff's getting hungry again]

We never made it to their villages, but I did get plenty of fodder to re-ignite thinking about women in my life. In an attempt to avoid falling into a life of comfortable monotony I often consider how well my life is set up now: most of my hobbies are satisfied and I've got a beautiful location, a fun job, and a good network of people around me. But the nature of an island with 600 people leaves a small population of women to choose from. I've never been dependent on a girlfriend, but I will usually admit that having a gal around would be nice.

[me, Cliff, Vaughn]

So it was after spending a couple days with three great girls that I found myself pondering whether a move to a city would increase my chances. And then I progressed to the next natural thought: would I give up the life I have now (of which 90% of its greatness is because on the remote location) to move to a place with greater population density to increase my girl chances? Of course the answer is "no". But that doesn't solve my singleness, it only affirms that my priorities lie with the rest of my life. I don't know what will make me happier in the long run?

(I realize I am drawing a line in the sand between 'living in a remote, beautiful place' and 'girls', as though they can't be in the same place. But for the ten years of my adult life that's the only way it's been.)