Using the rest of the vacation wisely

using the vacation wisely, no?

Random Observation/Comment #229: There’s really not much of this awesome free-time left.  Shouldn’t I be out enjoying myself to the max before I’m tied down?  There are so many dreams I can cross off the list or take larger leaps to reach.

1. Finish book about love. I really want to publish it and get a major goal cross off my list. I don’t care if it doesn’t sell, I didn’t write it for that purpose (or for me) anyway.
2. Setup top secret website. I will always be dreaming of the next start-up company. Why not put it all together?
3. Kickoff Pioneer blog for Cooper. I might as well do something to help the old community. If I’m not going to be a professor, maybe there are other ways to pass on knowledge.
4. Restart workout routine. I’ve wanted that six pack for 8 years, but I’ve never actually gotten it.  I was almost there, and then I came home to my Mom’s amazing cooking and then traveled to all these incredible eating capitals. I think I can multitask the listening to language audio-books and workout into one, so why not?
5. Fix sleeping schedule. Lucid dreaming is still the best, and I will not part with it.  If I’m going to wake up at 6:30 to get to work, I’m definitely going to need to be able to sleep by midnight.  Damn all those parties.
6. Project Wean-Back-Into-Working. I don’t expect to be able to do a full 8-hour day of work from this hazy, lazy lifestyle.  It’s 2PM and I’m still in my pajammy-jams. That’s the type of vacation this was.  See next entry for details.

One month for 6 things. I think this is considered a New Year’s Short-term Resolution.  Damn, those resolutions are just floating everywhere this time of year.

~See Lemons Finish Strong

Searching for a Vacation

sunrise in Denia - a great vacation

Random Observation/Comment #209: The world is filled with crazy people trying to do crazy things only to pass the time.  It hurts my head wondering the origins of these brilliant sports, all of which are probably extremely exhilarating and loads of fun, but include such a dangerous twist that I would personally rather stay on solid ground.  For example, who decided to jump off a large mountain on a piece of wood and build large metal boxes to bring people up and do it all over again?  Of course, I love skiing, but sometimes I wonder how crazy of an idea it is.  Adrenaline junkies follow their extreme-sports by adding a higher probability of death into the equation of a simple sport.  If the idea of jumping out of an airplane wasn’t fulfilling enough, they decided to bring a snowboard and do tricks in the air while plunging towards some, very solid, Earth.  I guess it’s this type of unique injection into a community that makes life more livable (even if they are significantly shortening it).  It’s an undeniable fact that there are events happening around this world that show the most evil side of our species, but there are things that this world has to offer that are breathtaking beyond our wildest imaginations.  One of them just might be found while risking your life for no other reason, but to prove that you’re able to push the limits.  Cheers to true passion (with a side order of stupidity).

I’ve invented many reasons to validate these travel experiences (all of which I will discuss in an eventual journal entry). One of these reasons is the search for what I find is the best way to unwind for a few weeks after a month of hard work.

What I considered the “study-abroad experience” living in a dorm brought me back to a freshman year of college-party-life that I dreamed of having (but was stolen from me by the overloaded credits and slave drivers at Cooper).  Unlike my first attempt at having fun, this time my schedule was more flexible and I followed a fantastic adventure filled with drinking alcohol at night, sleeping often, internet usage, and then drinking some more in the afternoon.  In many ways, it was a beautiful mess, and I absolutely loved it.  However, this world is impossible to repeat – I think I’ve had my last hurrah with these types of stupid drunken shenanigans.  Not to say that I won’t drink anymore, but I am done with the Reeperbahn to Fischmarkt scene for a while.  It’s hard to admit, but I think I’m getting older :\.

The weekend trips throughout Europe were nice little treats after programming for hours and writing papers.  I went to so many places with just my backpack and my camera with the intention to see all the touristy attractions in major cities.  I was a reporter for a fake audience, and I was trying to just remember the trip and absorb some history.  I asked questions and made new friends at every hostel.  The introductions were simple and I got much practice with making small talk.  I basically tried to formulate my own idea of why people love Europe by asking for other’s opinions.  In my mind, I ranked each location based on a combination of opinions.  I tried to account for the type of personality and order it into a type of chart, hoping that I would learn enough to let people know what their favorite place was depending on their personalities.

I began wondering what my closest friends would find the most fun and found a bit of a smirk appear wondering how they passed each day back home.  I’m sure they’ve been managing.  It’s nice to miss people and be missed.

This was a true backpackers’ world of being open without any plans and just following some tours and going off into some smaller groups.  I still love doing this, but it gets much more difficult to become this type of traveler as you cross an age threshold (around 27 becomes a little creepy).

There was one more unexpected type of vacation during my stay in Europe.  I met a wonderful girl that shared the same enthusiasm for nature and walking.  We climbed mountains together, walked around major cities, took loads of pictures (hers were mostly of me taking pictures), and grew closer to each other like a married couple on their honey moon.  It was one of my favorite parts of this vacation, and I look forward to this type of long term relationship when it happens again.  I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.  The interesting part is that for this type of vacation, the location and sights doesn’t make a huge difference as long as it’s easy on the eyes.  In fact, the blinking Eiffel tower was just a nice background for my main focus.  This is the type of vacation I expect when I’m looking for someone to grow old with, but with the next few years, I think I’ll be trying a different method of unwinding.

I was mainly thinking about this entry right before I fell asleep during a siesta in Denia.  My mind had finally cleared itself of schedules and tasks.  I didn’t feel pressured or in any sort of rush to do anything in particular.  I ate amazing food and chatted with great people in a summer beach house.  In many ways, it gave me a weird grandparent-feeling with the sounds of the swarm of cousins laughing by the pool and the smell of a freshly prepared lunch at 3PM before an afternoon siesta.  Time passed so slowly, yet I yearned for it to continue after it was over.  It gave me time to stop and think about life, which is sometimes neglected due to a clutter of routines and stress.  Although I had accomplished a very limited number of tasks throughout that week, I felt revived.  My brain had finally taken a deep breath from the surface after diving deeper into life and careers.

So what is my vacation?  Just like the saying, “Home is in your head,” so are vacations.  Who said home and vacations are on separate domains?  More than anything, I missed my friends.  I think my next vacation will be spent with them.  We’ll all be bums together.

~See Lemons Finally Relax

Muchisimas gracias por todo

oooo technology in Denia

Random Observation/Comment #207: Christian is a gentleman and a scholar – or in more colloquial terms – he’s freakin’ awesome.  Not only did he act as a tour guide and “couchsurfing-type” host for a week, but he also reminded me of something very important: a summer is not a summer vacation without friends. Yes, I’ve met quite a few random people during my travels of whom I refer to as friends, but it’s not the same. My stay in Denia made me miss my best friends back home and cringe at the fact that I missed another summer that I could have spent growing closer with them. Seeing Christian and his friends reunited in random clubs and local drinking areas was inspiring and it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling of community. As with all observations, I compare it with my life. I’ve realized that I’ve been doing the opposite of what I’ve always wanted – to hopefully be missed and to feel at home somewhere. Of course, this process of growing my contacts around the world is quite important and I really needed this experience to clearly discern my feelings about the matter. This phase of adventures in Europe has been envied by most, but I think they fail to realize the fun within their own country provided by the close friends that make life worth living. It’s not always the history, club scene, night life, or number of museums in your neighborhood – it’s about the interesting people you already know and have the potential to meet. These 6 months of networking have been exhausting, but I’ve developed many new ideas and improved communication skills. If not just to open my eyes to an outside perspective of the US, it has been worth every penny. This is the worldly knowledge that pushes me closer to maturity.

Christian’s countless acts of kindness made me grateful beyond belief. Although we only shared one class at Cooper during my master’s course, we met up in the middle of Spain for a full week. He picked me up from the station by car and welcomed me into his summer house in Denia and apartment in Valencia. The large family of parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews (some applying multiple times) created a lively, warm, and fun-loving house. During the night (or what locals here consider the beginning of the night at 2AM) I was deemed “el Chico Americano” by his friends and spoken to by those who wanted to practice their English (or those drunk enough to tolerate my broken Spanish). The club scenes were legendary to every extent of the word. The club Hacienda was actually a favorite of his brothers’ and parents’ since 40 years ago. Generations of party-ers grew up here jumping walls and stealing shrimps from crazy restaurant owners – I, of course, did my samples of the tradition.

I was welcomed in his house with home-cooked meals and all outside events. Understanding my desire to capture some pictures of scenery, we went up some castles and made a valid attempt to climb the mountain (and we would have done it if we weren’t so drunk and tired). There were even times when I went solo with these new friends without Christian and randomly found my way back to his house at 8AM.

What I’m trying to express is not just the crazy partying and unyielding schedule of this city, but also the friendliness and openness of this summer group. It was incredibly liberating to finally escape. I didn’t feel trapped by work or obligations, but simply ate, siesta’d, beach’d, and fiesta’d only to sleep and repeat the cycle a few more days. In no way could this be enjoyed for more than a week, but it’s definitely a week to look forward to starting from September. The sleeping and eating pattern took some time to adjust to (wake at 1PM, lunch at 3PM, 4PM siesta, 6PM beach, 9PM pool, 10PM dinner, 12AM pregame, 2AM first club, 5AM second club, 7AM sunrise at restaurant, 8AM sleep), but I felt like I just took vacation to the next level of fun (and exhaustion).

By the end of my stay in Denia, I had only washed half my clothes even though I made a pitifully easy to-do list. Even the haircut activity took 5 days before it was completed. Essentials like charging my camera and moving over pictures to my laptop seemed to follow the same procrastination trend. Oddly, without the Internet and the pressure, I found relaxation.

I wish I could have done more to repay this family. My enthusiasm in food made it natural to cook a meal for them. Although it was mostly experimental, I hoped they liked it (I snuck out and left for Valencia before it was finished so I couldn’t see their reactions). It was the least I could do after trying home cooked paella, eggplant, stuffed zucchini, baked chicken with potatoes, Spanish pizza, and much much more. Their cooking made me miss my mother’s and my aunts’, and this large family experience makes me look forward to my next family and friend reunion. Even the little cousins grew to like my presence (well, I took trying to drown me in the pool and always asking to play with my iPhone as growing to like me). I guess it would take me a while to stop wondering what was wrong with the shape of my eyes too.

With the support of a wonderful family and a brilliant mind on his shoulders, I have no doubt that Christian will do well. I can’t guarantee as many beautiful Spanish girls in my group back in NY, but he’s always welcome to chill. Mi casa es tu casa. Salud.

~See Lemons Agradecido

The “V” in Vermont stands for Vacation

 

 

Snowing for 3 days straight

Random Observation/Comment #119: When I was growing up, I’ve always felt awkward addressing elders.  I was taught to refer to them as Mr. and Mrs. so-and-so, but it was always received with really weird looks.  I could imagine how much this makes the parent feel so much older than they want to.  If I were called mister right now, I’m not sure if I’d be sad or angry.  Most probably, I would freeze and reflect on an old memory.  I would travel back to that time I first called a friend’s Dad, “Mister.”  He smiled, but said in a very serious voice, “We’re going to have a problem if you keep calling me by my dad’s name.  Call me Stu.”  It was scary, yet an epic moment in my life.  I will most probably adopt this concept when (or if) I grow up.  Parents are a little more flexible, but then what about grandparents?  I feel like their generation would appreciate the formalities, but on the other hand, wouldn’t it be nice if I could also call them grandma and grandpa?  They’ve been such good hosts that I feel like I’m part of the family, but when is it okay to cross that boundary with those words?  Am I intruding into another person’s family?  I think I could be hanged for high treason in friendship-terms, if this were the case.  I guess now that I’m passed 20, I should take on the more mature role of speaking on even ground.  Calling someone by their first name seems neutral and probably not over-analyzed.  To me, I just want it to convey the fact that I’m asserting a balanced friendship of peers.  Interestingly enough, if we all age at the same rate, then that must mean that the age range of peers begins to increase as you get older.  Will there be a time where I can consider my parents a part of my peers?  I would probably be using it for stature and mentality instead of age group.  Maybe I’ve just given all this way too much thought.  Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Grandparents.

 

The long weekend of skiing and lounging was everything I hoped it would be.  My thighs were sore and the small blister on my foot showed no mercy.  I couldn’t lift my arms above shoulder-height and I literally (well not literally) felt the fat accumulate as I lazed in front of the television.  We watched the food network and fell asleep in the middle of Iron Chef.  If we were conscious, it could have constituted as a homosexual moment.  A few pillows separated between James’ head and Jake’s ass, and a sofa cushion separated between my head and James’ ass.  Imagine, if you will, a chain of completely exhausted men snoring like babies.  I bet it would look much cuter if we were all little, fluffy puppies.  It’s alright; I think someone called “no homo.”

I don’t remember the last time I sat on the couch and just watched movies without a worry on my mind.  We had no desire to do anything or go anywhere.  It was just beautiful being a couch potato.  Long hours typing away in front of the computer has left me begging for some horizontal time on a nice couch.  I brought my laptop with me to Vermont, but the urge to take it out of my bag for writing entries or working on my thesis had been replaced with an excruciating amount of sloth.  I was so lazy, I didn’t even analyze each movie’s underlying message to the public.  It’s been a hobby of mine to step into the director’s and producer’s train of thought.  I wonder about the camera angles and try to reason why different scenes were done that specific way.  With some practice, it’s easy to see the subtle foreshadowing or an emphasis on the movie’s life-advice to the viewers.  In fact, I judge much of the movie’s awesome-ness or sucki-ness by these qualities.  I take the movie for its intended role; in other words, not all genres should be judged with the same eye.  Anyway, after watching 5 movies over the weekend, I left with very little opinion of the movie’s quality.  I could say that it was funny and enjoyable to watch, but the small details I usually notice just faded with complete blackouts in my memory. 

The vacation from my work became a vacation from my mind.  I reacted to this ongoing observation much differently than I first perceived.  At first, I thought I needed a vacation away from thinking about the simulations on my thesis and racing against deadlines to have a fulfilling life, but now I see that my busy nights and days kept my brain alive.  I admit that I was a little exhausted from the over-exertion, but the under-exertion from a brain-numb vacation was not my solution either.  In fact, I found that I rather have a tired brain than a useless one. 

To all extremes, the over-usage and under-usage of the mind is unhealthy.  The balance must be met at a healthy dosage with what I see as an “Asteroids problem.”  That arcade game’s ship was difficult to maneuver due to the single thruster and a body that maintained its momentum.  To steer more accurately, small thruster bursts would be needed to keep the ship steady while avoiding hazards.  With my mind, this works on the same 2D plane, but each side represents a section of a pie chart separating the important functions of the mind.  A boost in one direction may steer off-course, therefore a balancing boost in the opposite direction is needed to successfully complete tasks.  At the end of the day, you want to stay in the center to reduce stress, but often we’re drifting in one sector more than another.  As a solution, we need to find the type of balance booster activities that fit our stress.  A vacation lounging on a couch or on a beach should not solve every stress problem.

I have not clearly identified the sectors in my mind’s pie chart, nor have I found the different types of vacations that balance these stresses, but I suspect that this concept is a reasonable way to reduce stress.  Every brain has different preferences, so this is in no way a guide to help cure any problems.  Take this as just simple advice: Pay attention to your life to find happiness and maintain healthiness.  I look forward to taking more vacations to find what replenishes the most energy.

~See Lemons Escaping Reality