Well, it’s a new week and a new start!  Luckily my body is finally recovered from whatever I had that kept me hibernating in bed for a week.  That said, I’m back into the swing of things (literally) in the gym.

It definitely feels great to be back and I realized once again how easy it is to take good health for granted.  Without a healthy and functioning body, it’s impossible to keep up as a competitive athlete or anything for that matter.

December is right around the corner and I just know it’s going to be a busy month for me.  I get to kick it off with taking the JLPT this weekend (woohoo, not…) The JLPT stands for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and it’s administered every year, all around the world.  There are five levels; ranging from beginner to advanced.  I’m gonna go ahead and take the hardest one.  Passing it would mean that my Japanese is at the same level as a normal adult that grew up in Japan.  I feel fairly confident but the only issue is I’ve literally had zero time to study.  Hate to make excuses but the one-two combo of work and training has kept me super busy.  The good thing is I can take the test as many time as I want, so I’m hoping to use this opportunity as a trial run.  If I pass, then that’s a great thing!

Funny thing is, I always thought that my crazy schedule was going to slow down once I graduated from college.  Having been out of school for a couple years and experiencing “real life” has made me realize that my assumption was way off.  I still train just as much as I used to, and while I don’t have to worry about school anymore, I still have to make sure that I hit my deadlines with my regular work.  Also, the upside to school was that I never had to worry about food.  The cafeteria took care of everything.  Nowadays, I periodically catch myself thinking about what to make for dinner during training.  It’s tough stuff but all the while, I’m enjoying the process and lucky to be in this situation where I can still work towards my dream.

December will be busy, but I’m ready.  Bring it on!