I don't want to get too deep, but life is what you make of it.

adventure in life is not absent unless you choose it to be so.

Okay, I guess I chose my words poorly (I’ve never approached it from that angle; I just thought others would get it better, but basically it’s me grasping at straws trying to explain why I would do this without being able to understand why some wouldn’t) but that is basically what I meant.

I will make the best of any situation, even if I have to go back to America for some reason. It is just in my nature to see all the good points about whatever life throws my way. That doesn’t mean I don’t see the bad things, I just compartmentalize them and take them for what they are.
Other people value family connections more than I do or have their own personal reasons for one negative side weighing more to them than it does to me, and no one answer I give could explain this away to every single person who has their own reasons for not wanting to do it.

some of the things you've said/posted, it seems more like you are depressed and I just don't think it's because you live on earth. Just make sure you aren't doing this because you are trying to run away from something here on earth.

Reading my own post out-of-context I can see that conclusion, but no, I am not depressed (I find it ridiculous to even have to say that).
If anything it is the exact opposite—I’m worried a bit about leaving behind the amazing life I already have. If I don’t make it to the finals in Mars One I will be prepared to return right back to this life (explaining to my bosses about why I am leaving and making a deal to ensure reasonably being hired back, etc.)


“Life is what you make of it” was basically my whole point, just twisted into the context of death on Mars (very bad idea to try to even attempt).
Until now I have accomplished all of my dreams since I was a child because I never stop pursuing them. Because the quality of your life and what you do with it is entirely in your hands. I am in my favorite city working for an awesome game company on awesome games, plus gaining popularity in media (just finished filming a movie to be released next year). Trust me when I say I am not running from anything, and pretending I have been dealt a crap hand in life would be absolutely insulting to those who really do have it rough.


L. Spiro

@szecs

The "running away" idea isn't about actually running away from a specific place or people. Spiro has moved all over the place (via the post above) and now wants to go to Mars. Spiro seems pretty isolated (talks about not talking with friends or family but once a year). The "running away" is about running from yourself. No matter where someone who has this feeling goes, they can't stay for long before they need to "run away" again. Generally there are core issues and the reason one feels this way is because they are really running away from those issues NOT a given place. The reason they need to keep moving is because wherever you are, there you are You can't run away from issues that may reside inside of you but one generally gets temporary relieve when they physically move to a totally new place, but slowly those feelings make their way back.

That's what I meant by "running away".

If you've ever seen the show "Lost", it's what Kate (I think her name was) had and it's actually pretty common.

I realize 1 post might not change anything, but I see red flags and it's always a shame when people don't point these out and then after a horrible thing happens we all start pointing them out and saying if only someone would have seen them...

[edit]

After seeing the last post it seems things have been cleared. I think the friends and family connection is the biggest difference here. To each their own in that space.

It's not that I don't understand why someone would want to go to Mars and live there, but it's the fact that how one goes about that is important. A privately funded Mars trip where it doesn't seem like there is a ton of experience on the team, and no option to return home if one changes their mind (we are human after all), seems a little strange.

talks about not talking with friends or family but once a year

That may have been out of context. I talk to them all the time, just not see them often.
Virtual contact is good enough for me, and besides this will be an excuse to see them all one last time.

Ultimately anything I said could be taken out of context that way, but really I was just speaking matter-of-factually (as I tend to do here). I can try to make the point that virtual contact is enough for me to get on with my life and it can always be taken to mean “I think I am isolated/depressed”.

I’m not running away from anything (inside myself or otherwise), I am running towards all of my dreams. I live in Tokyo because I want to live in Tokyo.

Pursuing my dreams is all I know how to do.

L. Spiro

Pursuing my dreams is all I know how to do.

So much so that you are willing to risk the pursuit of possible other dreams, that you don't even know you want yet, for this one? One of your sig quotes (taken as is) seems to nail this on the head. There must be something about actually achieving every dream one has set out to accomplish that makes them do less than logical things. You seem like a very logical person.

I think your mind is made up but I enjoy taking the other side of things :)

Well, personally I don't get what's so great about living the rest of your life in tiny bunker, even if it's on Mars, especially when there's a lot more adventurous and exciting places to explore on this planet...but if that is what floats your boat, congratulations!

Now, that said, I'm gonna be a Grinch now and say that I honestly don't think this will happen. Not colonizing Mars in general I mean, that will probably happen at some point, I mean this private "Mars-One" project coming to fruition. From what I've read, NASA has estimated the cost of such a mission(with the austronauts coming back home, of course) to about 100 billion USD...even if it costs ~10 billion, like the Mars-One people claim, that's..still an awful lot of money for some guys that are currently running an indiegogo campaign for...400K and assess that they'll get most of their funding from running a huge reality TV show of the whole thing. Yeah, I realize the indiegogo thing is just for initial funding and getting some traction, but still...

But, like I said, congratulations, good luck, and of course let's hope...this(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/) doesn't happen.(hey, someone had to post it!)

So much so that you are willing to risk the pursuit of possible other dreams, that you don't even know you want yet, for this one?

That’s actually a reference to me being unable to talk to women long ago and now that I can just approach any of them, my type has changed so much I no longer know what type of woman I want.
When it comes to life, where I want to go, what I want to do, etc., I know perfectly well.

I honestly don't think this will happen.

The only way to make sure it doesn’t happen is not to try.


L. Spiro

>>The only way to make sure it doesn’t happen is not to try.

Oh, like I said, I think it will happen at some point, just by people that have access to a LOT more resources and technical knowledge - like, say, the people that already have landed Curiosity on Mars, for example...and we'll have the extra bonus that they don't even think about ditching their austonauts on a barren planet(even if they volunteer to do it) just so they can significantly cut down the costs

When it comes to life, where I want to go, what I want to do, etc., I know perfectly well.

I feel like thinking one knows everything about what they want now and in the future is sort of a foolish idea. Things can change in the blink of an eye and being open to that idea can lead to even more adventures. If you ever want to be with someone you love (wife/gf) you are severely limiting your options in that space by living on Mars. I'm sure you've thought of that though, and have an answer for it

Personally I would happily become a colonist on Mars, but I sure wouldn't want to go with this program.

However, if anyone is serious about colonizing another planet, then they shouldn't be sending males. Well, at least not all of them. The only parts of a male that are actually useful or important on another planet are a small number of cells, and the delta-v spent to carry ONE adult human male and all the life support needed for his trip would send enough preserved cells for hundreds of unique genetic samples.

However, if anyone is serious about colonizing another planet, then they shouldn't be sending males. Well, at least not all of them. The only parts of a male that are actually useful or important on another planet are a small number of cells, and the delta-v spent to carry ONE adult human male and all the life support needed for his trip would send enough preserved cells for hundreds of unique genetic samples.

seriously...that's how you'd do it? just grow a human colony there?