January 21, 2019

I love roads. I went to school for Civil Engineering because I love roads. I find the way expressways and roads wind their way across the United States to be absolutely fascinating.

That being said, I am not a fan of urban driving. As an urban dweller in the third largest city in the United States, I am a proud public transit kind of guy. I believe if the ‘L’, METRA or bus takes me where I want to go, or if I can walk there in a reasonable amount of time, the car should stay in the garage.

Driving around the city makes me crazy. It feels so unnecessary. I get driving to a shopping center if you’re hauling home a Mac or something, or if you’re bring home a haul from the grocery store, but if I’m going out for brunch?

I want someone else to drive.

I am currently on a flight from Raleigh-Durham to OHare after a wonderful weekend with friends. We are flying at FL240 because the winds aloft are so high and they’re trying to get as much ground speed as possible. This is making for some great views as we cross the Appalachians.

They’re not the Rocky Mountains but they’re bumpy.

I’m seated in an exit row again and it is enjoyable. The seat to my left is empty. Another score for roominess on my second flight in a row.

I am a little surprised the beverage service hasn’t started yet. Perhaps it will start soon. Earl and I have lunch plans when we get back home. It will hopefully be somewhere warm since it’s currently 9°F.

Everyone can calm down, the cart was just led down the aisle.

Being relatively off the grid this weekend, as well as being mostly unplugged from news has contributed to this centered feeling I am experiencing. I feel like the stress of the holidays has melted away, work feels like it will be under control (I even cleaned out my inbox this morning), and the days are getting longer.

One of my goals this week is to find reliable sources of news (political and technological), with as least spin as possible. I think part of that goal involves finding sources that are not dependent on ad clicks and solely ad revenue. PBS, NPR, and newspapers come to mind. I might even have to subscribe to something.

My goal is to be informed, not to be told what to think. Find the good. Be the light.

And avoid the high winds aloft.