Originally Posted by fixedude

i was messing before i came to japan. i did it for a 3 years and it was a great gig at the time, since i loved being on my bike, but i knew it was not a career. concurrently with being a F/T courier, i was in grad school F/T (no coursework at the time, only research) and working as a TA (marking papers/exams, holding office hours, etc.). it was a very busy period in my life, but what was nice about messing was that it provided a balance to my academic world; there is something invigorating about mixing up intense intellectual challenges with intense physical challenges. also, i had a great dispatcher who was very understanding of my situation and provided time off if i needed it (e.g., writing or marking exams).



i was able to explore corners of the city, i might not have explored otherwise...i met some very sincere and generous messengers, suits, labourers, police, etcetera. the time spent riding often allowed moments to reflect on life, goals and objectives...the downtime often allowed moments to simply observe my surroundings. now, i have completed grad school and am enjoying my 2nd year of life in japan, and while i enjoyed messing, i have other directions i am heading in!