Back to it

Oh man, I felt like I was finally starting to get my life into a serviceable routine. What time to get up in the morning and what to eat for breakfast. What to listen on the bus ride to work, and what to do once I got there. Back at home, I had a time to work out and a time to lift weights. Shows to watch while re-hydrating and books to read right before bed. . . .

And then I went out of town for a science conference in Chicago.

It was a great conference, but I got up at completely different times, ate completely different things for breakfast. . . ehhh, you get the picture. It was good, but now I’m feeling like daylight savings time amplified. I don’t know what time of day it is, or what I should be doing. Flux! Oh well, it will come back together here soon, maybe.

Whilst in Chicago, I rode the L-train into the city with Sarah and another grad student in our lab. The ride in was pretty much magic. I’ve ridden subways before, but the L-train takes you in-between skyscrapers like the monorail at Epcot (but real). I’ve only been in Chicago once, and it was a direct in-and-out visit to my Aunt’s place near Navy Pier. This time around, we were headed to the Shedd Aquarium on a perfectly clear blue day. I saw all the buildings, all the architecture. It was awesome. There was this weird thought that kept ticker-taping through my head: “WOW a real city! They do exist outside of TV and movies!” which I really did know beforehand, but it’s amazing to see the real thing. I’ve traveled, and I was born in L.A., so you think this wouldn’t surprise me so. But I’ll have to remember that I spent MOST of my life in West Virginia, with Pittsburgh being the closest big city.

I will have to go back to Chicago now. Maybe someday to New York City. I feel like I need to work my way up the chain. . .