@ Aeris: Escapism...yes, I guess you are right. I was trying to escape from something. I was trying to escape from the mundane comfortable existance that had started to grate on my psyche while working in Japan. I was tired of consuming, tired of seeking money, tired of being bombarded with advertising. I wanted to experience life outside my realm of comfort zone.

Stepping outside of my zones of comfort and intentionally putting myself in situations that cause me to feel fear and intrepidation is something that forces me to keep learning and striving to understand the world around me and my place in that world.

A girlfriend would also be well outside my comfort zone, but hey...a skateboard is much more cost efficient.