Mark's Return to the UK

October 2014 sees several notable landmarks for me. I turn 40, which frankly scares the hell out of me. I celebrate five years of marriage, which amazes and delights me. It also marks over five years since I last set foot in the UK (a visit of less than an hour during the Dublin ECs notwithstanding). And the World Championships for L5R will be held in Sheffield by Patriot Games, a company that I hold in the highest regard and was lucky enough to work for.

It's a perfect storm of events that leads me to try this whole crowd-funding thingy. I'm extremely lucky to have my mother and father visiting me this summer, and four close friends from the UK meeting us at GenCon, but as I get older, there's a very realistic possibility that I may a) never get back to the UK and b) never meet up with a lot of the players from the L5R UK community again. Every time there's a UK event, I get homesickness pangs like you wouldn't believe, and it would mean the world to me to be there for such a momentous occasion.

The amount I'm trying to raise would cover the trip for Shelby and myself - I want to show my wife off to those friends of mine who haven't met her. I've been blessed with L5R friends from all over the world, and breaking that total down, if 150 people donate $20 each, it'd reach the target. It's a long shot, but the chance of being there and celebrating my birthday, my anniversary, and being a part of the UK community again even for just one weekend mean I've got to take the shot.

Thanks for reading!