Random Reflections on Vacation

Well, I'm at the all good things must come to an end point of my vacation, so many things have gone wrong. I wish I could stay longer to get more things straightened out. Though on the plus side, I caught up with a bunch of movies that I haven't seen yet. Forrest Gump was something that really made me think. Sometimes it's better to simply not understand enough to let things drag you down. I am aware though and I don't think trying to change that is a good idea.
Today was one of those days where things didn't go right, high winds, and heavy rains canceled my plans. Did some reading, and watched a lot of TV. Some of what I read made me wonder if there's really decent returns to be had in investing or if it's kind of like the squirrel. Nuts get stored up for the winter, but in terms of real returns, the squirrel never gets back more than what's put in. I'm still betting that there are gains to be had. In any case, it's still better to have a reserve than nothing at all.
That also brings me to another though, some people have been saying that it's not a good idea to use a line of credit as an emergency fund because lending restrictions are likely to tighten during economic down turns when you're more likely to need the money. That is true though I don't know anyone who advocates keeping your emergency fund in another currency in case the even that you run into happens to be hyperinflation or the local government is over thrown. I guess people expect gold to take that spot. Then there's also events that render food and shelter unobtainable at any price, like if you get hit be a mega tsunami. Granted, there's little point saving money for an event like that because the extreme scarcity renders money meaningless. As I start reducing my cash reserves this is a question that I need to address sooner or later. For now though I think I'm happy using credit as an emergency fund. The numbers are still small in my game, I'm not trying to support a family or cling to things like fancy cars and I don't have a mortgage to support.
Oh, and speaking of family, I had an update on the family thing. It seems like things will be back to normal, for a while anyway.
And well, there's location scouting. While parts of this area do have their charm, there are a stunning number of run down buildings around here. I'm not sure what to really make of it. I'm not completely turned off from this area yet. Still going to check out the employment center to find out about relevant opportunities, immigration and wages. While I was here, I've been going to grocery stores, keeps costs down a bit and gives me an idea of the cost of living. I'm starting to really like extended stay hotels. Though this hotel makes me wonder how hard the region got rocked by economic slowdowns. The rate posted inside the room is twice the current rate. They haven't updated the sign in a while. I think I'll still hunt around for a while. This really doesn't stand out as a definite winner.