I've been away from Chastity Mansion for some time due to having so many lovely things in my life to absorb time. It's a great "problem" to have. At the moment, though, I'm approaching three months of continuous chastity, and this has triggered some reflection. 1. I forgot how much I like the psychological roller coaster that chastity provides. This does even out after the first few weeks, but pangs persist. Now that I'm partnered, I have someone to talk to about what is going on. She likes the sense of connection this creates. This has opened doors to additional exploration for us. 2. I also forgot how hard the physical reality of long-term near-constant lockup can be. Tight jeans are a no-no, and nights are something that take a bit of work to get through. Anyone who says "I put on my new device and have remained locked for a year!" is full of crap. Working out the "how" of long-term device wear is non-trivial, assuming physical health is a priority. The fact that I engage in athletic activities just makes things harder. 3. After the initial emotionally-frantic adjustment period, I've found myself increasingly looking for a place to invest energy. Call it "purpose," but I feel like I want to DO something. For me, this is a little bit diffused because my partner isn't all that invested in being a "keyholder." (She's more than fine with it, but mostly I manage it in a way to make things easy and unobtrusive for her.) I think this burst of energy is overlooked a lot by both wearers and keyholders. 4. Lockup with a "release date" (or goal) is different from lockup with no such limitation. In the past I've stayed locked for goals as long as six months, figuring that was enough to prove that I could stay locked indefinitely. This is the first time I've decided to not decide in advance how long this will go on. The entire thought process is different; it's both easier and harder to not have a "deadline" to focus on. There have been some changes in my thinking about chastity over time, too: Years ago a woman asked me if I appreciated the privilege of being caged. At first, I thought she was joking; I was going through the adjustment period at the time. But for a male submissive who needs female leadership, chastity is a HUGE privilege. @L-u-c-y once wrote (paraphrasing from memory) that caging a male is akin to attaching a collar and leash to a dog. I wish more people (both men AND women) understood this. A well-trained dog is a joy, but "obedience school" is training for the owner first and the dog second. Badly-behaved pets kill the interest of good owners, and lazy and permissive owners lead to badly-behaved pets. Clarity and alignment are key to the pleasure of both. Chastity is amazingly good for coming to grips with male ego. I suspect everyone is different on this point, but a chaste male has the opportunity (the need?) to find out what parts of his ego are fragile posturing and what parts are more grounded. My partner and I have (at her urging) experimented with blurring gender roles and presentation. Traditional "masculinity" would wilt under this assault, but we are enjoying questioning pretty much any social "norm." That's it for my journey at the moment. Be well, everyone! QL