catoxis | State of the Catox: 2021

Wowza. Been a while since I've typed one of these up. 5 whole years in fact. Let's see how these old paws dance.

Overall: Major overhaul of much of how I operate, many new experiences, and major objectives to accomplish over the coming year.

Professional: So, I still work at the same financial group I've been with for nearly 10 years, and am finally breaking through to some major goals I wanted to accomplish before I left. Now with a framework of my magnum opus at this company ready and a big certification under my belt (JNCIP-DC), I can shore up a few weaknesses of foundational work (Python and automation, primarily) and move on from this crew.

Personal: While I got out of my financial hole back in 2015 thanks to my parents, I let things get away from me again during 2018-2019. It's been up and down, but with less amplitude each time, and more lessons learned on habits and countermeasures to implement. Additionally, with the pandemic doing what it did, it led me to realize that living with my roommates had slowly turned to a mildly abusive situation where I was effectively isolated to my bedroom. Add actually contracting Covid-19 due to being forced into work, and I quickly found myself a new living situation, resulting in an awesome new roommate (singular) and after a year in an apartment with its' own set of challenges, we're now in a house (with a different challenge pool!), but with room to spread out and make improvements.

Mind: Much like the financial discussion above, a lot of this work has been fighting two sides of the coin; a want to enjoy my life currently vs. a want to save enough to move to Seattle, WA, where much of what I enjoy will be drastically easier to indulge in. On top of rebuilding my ability to listen, read, study, learn, and move, this is going to be my most important mantra going forward:

"How much is enough for what you enjoy doing?"

Just answering that question as I look at the information I consume and the tools, decorations, equipment, and multimedia I collect is going to be a major element of executing this next year well.

Body: Consistency is key, and while my experiments have yielded good information, the primary objective is going to be sticking with Primal principles. Whole foods, regular movement, good hygiene, and a level head is all I need to make things happen. Thankfully, a few choice pieces of furry gear really enabled seeing myself the way I want to, and giving me a more solidified path going forward.

Spirit: Wowza. If 22 year old me learned I was gonna be a demiboy, plural, pansexual, postfurry, non-human beast of a foxcat, I wouldn't have believed it, but here we are. Numerous experiences over the past 5 years, aided by all manner of music, clothing, compounds, experiences, friends, and family means that this really is me. Sure, there's still more to discover, but this path will be traveled with paws and claws, not feet and nails. Awoo.

To top it all off, Vlolei Ocean. It has been one of the biggest catalysts and founding rocks of my life, both reflecting desires and dreams, but also granting greater focus towards accomplishing my goals. I mean, shit, if I'm vacationing at least yearly to the PNW, there's gotta be something drawing me there besides just the arcades, food, career, friends, and overall environment. <3

What a ride, and this has all just been going up that initial hill. This rollercoaster is really gonna get started.

I'll be posting more often, using this to help give form to random thoughts, provide better insight to myself and others, and make these changes real.

Let's do this shit. With flow, glow, and love.

"Always bigger, always better."

~Akkeresu, Ark, and Alexander

AKA Catoxis