PAX East Post-Mortem

            I’m still processing everything. I’ve learned that conventions and conferences—the good ones, anyway—bombard you with so much energy, information, and emotion, that it takes a while to come down and make sense of it all. First, I’m tired. That’s to be expected. Two days (we missed out on tickets for the third day) of tromping around from the wee hours of the morning until midnight take their toll. Second, I’m hooked. These events are a blast and a great way to expose myself to fresh, current ideas about a variety of industries.

If I had the means, I think I would do nothing but travel around the country to various conventions and conferences in a variety of disciplines. I intend to look locally to see what I’ve been missing. I’m particularly interested in attending an event with astrophysicists. Perhaps I can even get in a few words with Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

           

PAX East (Snow?) Bound

            Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor dark of red-eye flight shall keep me from the appointed convention.

            So I am departing for Boston to indulge in a celebration of gaming, video and otherwise. It’s going to be a blast if last year was any indication. I’m really looking forward to some of the panels, and the awesome Indie games, which were easily my favorite thing about last year.

Short Vacation

            I’m giving myself a short, stay-at-home vacation (I refuse to use the new compound form of the words stay and vacation). Now usually I have a few weeks between semesters, but I almost always end up filling the entire time with various projects. There’s nothing wrong with that. And the projects are worthwhile, but I feel an increasing need to draw definite lines in my life where I can say I’m not working.

            So, I’ll rejoin the working world next week. 

             

The. End.

            Another semester over. Yes, there’s a little bit of grading to do, yet, but it’s inconsequential. The pressure has fully lifted. Time for a brief respite, and then a longer one from all things school related.

           

Stretched Thin

            I’ve been feeling stretched thin this summer with personal responsibilities and projects I hope will become professional. Everything has been coming together in a shoestring net I’m weaving on-the-fly. I’m sure things are getting overlooked because I’m only one person, but I think I’m managing.

            Of course, what I think I need to make it all come back together is a little down time. I need some kind of rejuvenation period. Maybe not a huge vacation, but once a week or so I should just go somewhere peaceful, like maybe a library or a bookstore, and browse around.

A Year Ago

            Last year at this time I was hanging out in Boston with one of my best friends. It was awesome. I was able to recharge my creativity and kick start my brain for other endeavors, as well. I then moved on to have an excellent trip to DC with my brother.

            This year sees me under more financial stress so I couldn’t take another vacation, but change is on the horizon. If things work out even moderately well, I should have another vacation soon.

            That said, this summer has still been restorative. I’ve enjoyed taking my brain off the hook for certain things and made progress on so many other projects. I hope to keep up the momentum.

PAXEast

            I’m in Boston enjoying PAXEast. I haven’t been able to put in as much time or money into video games as I would have liked in the last few years, but now I’ve got a weekend of games with two of my best friends. It’s going to be epic.

            Cue the Goldeneye (N64) music.

Break Time

            It’s Spring Break. Unlike last year, I have the time off. Unfortunately, I don’t have much in the way of funds to take advantage of it. I have long thought about going to San Diego or Yosemite for Spring Break.

            It always seems to be the case that either time or money is lacking. Need to figure out a way to get just enough of both to take advantage of a nice vacation road trip.

Break Time

            The Thanksgiving Holiday marks the last break I will get this semester. It’s been rough, and I desperately need the time to recoup. I’ve been saying it all semester, and it’s still true. The semesters are getting tougher on me.

            Despite technological advancements, grading still takes too long. Students don’t understand, or worse, dismiss the instruction I give them, never bothering to read the feedback I give.

            Every teacher I see responds with the same weary sigh when asked “How’s it going?”

            Those sighs keep getting longer.

            So I will take this break as an opportunity to recharge sorely worn-out batteries, and to give thanks for the students who care.

Travel Tips: Souvenirs

            Along with photos, I’ve started giving up on the practice of collecting souvenirs while I travel.  It’s not that I’m against souvenirs, or that I think they cost too much (which, in most cases, they do). It’s actually a far more practical consideration of space and weight. I tend to pack very densely to begin with, so I don’t have a lot of space for these items.

            I’ve also grown weary of the typical gift shop fare. Most places all seemed to be stocked with the same assortment of shirts, mugs, magnets, keychains, and other knick-knacks. It’s hard to find a souvenir that really speaks to me, something that will not just sit on a shelf collecting dust. Consequently, I don’t get much in the way of souvenirs, anymore.

            However, when I do find something I want, in today’s world of online commerce, it’s possible to get souvenirs from a vacation well after the vacation. I’ll use my phone’s camera to take a picture of what I want so I can buy it after I get back home.

Simple Photographic Composition

            I’m a big fan of black and white photography; I like the interplay between light and dark. So it’s not surprising that when I do decide to take a picture, despite my previous rant about taking pictures on vacation, I like ones that have strong elements of light and dark, such as this picture of the White House with the Washington Monument behind it.

Fallout

            September 11^th 2001 left an indelible mark on our nation. While undoubtedly New York suffered the most, I felt it more acutely in DC. With the number of federal buildings and museums in our nation’s Capital, nearly every place I went had metal detectors and security screenings. It became a regular thing to have to divest my pockets of everything and step through the metal detectors, which was the majority of the lines to get into places. I understand the necessity, but it’s yet another sad reminder of tragedy, and what the modern world is.

Vacation Sans Pictures

            I own a (now obsolete) Nikon D70 camera. I’ve got a couple of lenses for it, and it’s a good, entry-level professional digital camera. The last time I used it was on my trip to NYC. I just haven’t felt the need to pack in the extra bulk and weight. More importantly, I found that I spent too much time trying to line up shots instead of enjoying where I was and what I saw. So I’ve toned back on my camera usage to the point of almost never using it. I’ve realized that in the digital world in which we live I can easily find pictures of what I see taken by other people. I only feel the need to take a picture if I’m going to be in it or it’s something unique that I want to preserve.

The Necessity of Vegging Out

            On my trip to Boston, I didn’t set a strict agenda. Actually, I didn’t set an agenda at all. My intent was simple: rest, relaxation, and restoration. I would go out and see things as the fancy struck me, but only if it struck me. It gave me the necessary mental break to bring myself back. I focused a lot on writing and not thinking about teaching.

            It was necessary.

            I think I need to make sure I do it after every semester.

Vacation Time

            My vacation time has been a long time coming. Teaching right after the spring semester meant no break at all. Even now my break is limited to just a few weeks, but I plan on making the most of it.

            Visiting friends in faraway places and just unwinding is what I’m about. Most of my prep work for the fall is already done, so I’m closing my brain to teaching for as long as I can.