I am in front of a tough decision right now and became curious to know what have others done that turned out to be a good decision.
Of course you can never know where the path you didn't take would led you, but Just those decisions that looking back you think were so damn good.
Just to not be absolutely off-topic (even in the lounge), I would like to know about 2 categories:
- Language learning or Japan life
- All your life in general

You don't need to answer both!

I remember it everynight in my dreams. May 8th. 1994. 4:23 PM. 15.2°C, slightly overcast. I remember the texture of porcelain against my hands as I opened the cookie jar's holy lid, stealing from it proof of God himself. A chocolate chip cookie. How can I ever forget the halo of chocolate chips, the indescribable beauty that swooned my adolescent soul in sugary ecstasy?

It was love at first bite. I have never known the taste of another cookie, not for fear that it would become jealous nor doubt my affections, but out of sheer undying love and lust. We are numb to the passing of years, enshrouded in our fairytale romance, dancing eternally to the stacatto heartbeat of our bliss.

Girl and Cookie. Two bodies sharing a single soul.


*AHEM*

I suppose the decision I am most glad I made would be moving to California. And also, avoiding the public transportation of California. The former expanded my life, the latter possibly kept me alive to have a life to expand in the first place

Damnit now I want cookies.

1) I used to study Japanese from lists, grammatical equations and textbook exercises. I decided that I would study Japanese by examples and by actually using it. (The second descision would be RTK with Donna Toki in third...)

2) Online high school. I decided that I coudl get a lot more accomplished if I were to go to an online school ater 1 semester of public school. I like the idea of public schooling but it isn't the best use of my time. :\

In terms of language learning it has to be starting my vocab deck 6.7 months ago. When I started it I had 2.5k vocab in there and now it's on 8.5K and working towards this years goal of 10K! The main thing is its, fun, fast and effective. I don't feel tied down to anything cos I use whatever materials I want and just grab all the words I don't know. It's systematic and has boosted my reading big time (and listening has improved plenty too).

mezbup Wrote:In terms of language learning it has to be starting my vocab deck 6.7 months ago. When I started it I had 2.5k vocab in there and now it's on 8.5K and working towards this years goal of 10K! The main thing is its, fun, fast and effective. I don't feel tied down to anything cos I use whatever materials I want and just grab all the words I don't know. It's systematic and has boosted my reading big time (and listening has improved plenty too).

vocab is fast,effective and painless to do!

I wouldn't call it a tough decision because as soon as I thought of it I knew I just HAD to do it, but I ran away from home to become a (for lack of a better word) bum in Korea for a year. I lived in a tent and went most places by foot. SO much fun!!! Best time of my life so far. I also learned that people are for the most part exceptionally kind (despite that I still lost almost 50 pounds though ) And what puts this on topic is that I also ended up going to Japan on the same trip, hahaha.

@Aijin: WOW! I can't believe you are using that avatar! So cool!! And such a poetic account of a cookie...

1) Joining a Japanese class half way thru term, only actually went a couple of times but in trying to catch up I realised how much effort I was gonna need to put into studying.

2) getting off the school-university-graduate job train after university. would certainly be earning more money now doing a grad job but would have had infinitely less fun.

Moving to Australia from the dreadful Milwaukee, WI. Everything has changed due to that single fork. I suppose for my Japanese it would be deciding to go to Japan on a tour in 2007- that's when it all started.

Leaving Japan for a Girl. Moving to South Carolina for a girl. Moving to Gifu, Japan for a girl. Some other stuff involving girls.

Oh wait, these were all bad decisions.

In terms of Japanese:
Taking summer courses last year. If it weren't for the classes, I really don't think I would have been chosen to study abroad.

In terms of Life:
I've made a bunch of decisions. The best ones have been more processes than decisions. The best has been disregarding what people think, realizing that I don't need anyone else to make decisions for me. Happened a long time ago, but it still affects me today.

IceCream Wrote:if you feel the same way for more than a week or two, and you follow your true feeling on it, i think you can never regret a decision, because it was always the right one for the time...

I agree on that. I have never regretted anything. Even if later I may think I was stupid. At that point of time it was the best thing myself was able to choose, just learn from the experience.

leaving to Japan for a girl (the 2nd time hah)