Author Archive
Sunday, July 25th, 2010
New blogging schedule!
Today I arrive at Pinewoods Music & Dance Camp, where I’m volunteering for five weeks. Because the camp is an idyllic utopia in the woods, there isn’t very profuse internet access. Therefore, I’m going to start blogging just once or twice a week rather than every day. I hope to return to my previous schedule [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
Halcyon Commons
In Berkeley, I stayed with my mom’s childhood friend. He is quite a character, but a wonderful guy who’s interested in very similar things to me. He actually helped spearhead the creation of a small neighborhood park just a couple houses down the street from where he lives. His story of how the park got [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
How to deal with unexpected tough tasks
On my long train trip from San Francisco to Denver the other day, I accumulated multiple emails that were frustrating. They required thoughtful responses, and when I returned to the land of the internet on Friday night in Denver, I was in no state of adequate wakefulness to reply to them. So I just left [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Incidental Information
A frequent question I get about my trip is, “Which city was your favorite?” To this I always respond that what defines my experience in a place is not so much the place itself, but my mood when I am there. This is influenced by all the things that always influence mood:
Amount of sleep
Appropriate timing [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
I’m on a Boat
Today I’m on a boat (viewer discretion advised). It’s pretty cool, but I have been having the hardest time for the past few months figuring out how ships sail upwind. My difficulty stems from my strong understanding of the physics of wheeled things. If you take a little Brio train or matchbox car, set it [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Monday, July 19th, 2010
America: Day 49 – The beginning of the end
Last night I started my 48-hour train ride back to New England. I have three-hour layovers in both Chicago (today) and DC (tomorrow). My trip has been exciting and a fantastic experience, but I miss home a lot and it will be great to return there. Today I’m writing the first post-trip evaluation post: what [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Sunday, July 18th, 2010
Weddings and new friends
Yesterday I went to the wedding of one of my best friends from high school. It was mildly hectic, but went off without a snag and was calm and fun. It was held at the Denver Zoo, where after the ceremony the wedding party and guests rode on a merry-go-round. Late into the night after [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Sunday, July 18th, 2010
Train Cuisine: bring it yourself.
I am not one to bash food based on high standards of quality. But food on Amtrak is really unjustifiably expensive. I will endeavor to bring a whole bag full of my own for the next extremely long leg of my trip. Access to cheap and healthy food will make me a much happier traveler. [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Friday, July 16th, 2010
Inspiration, momentum, and stagnation
When I was very little, I participated in a secret gift exchange where I used the alias “Lots of Ideas”. I continue to periodically have these grand visions, and these days they’re usually oriented toward improving one of my communities, or to making myself loads of passive income. I announced here a while ago that [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Aha! I found what makes me stressed & angry!
So, I was going to leave the Bay Area yesterday and arrive in Denver tonight. Unfortunately, I made the stupid mistake of incorrectly transcribing the departure time, so I missed my train. I re-booked it for today, but now I’ll be rushed at the arrival end, and I had to pay $38 for the new [...]
