In my calendar, I try to segment by color what it is I’m doing. Work. Gigs. Side jobs. Health and exercise. I’ve got a calendar header titled Expansion, and it tends to be my most exciting one.
Anything that grows who I am falls under this header. It can be as simple as reading time, or as extensive as travel or getting my SCUBA certification. When the other calendar entries look too heavy, I make time for Expansion. Because if we’re not growing, we’re just dying.
About 10 days ago I was on a tour through Denali National Park, showcasing views of Mt. Denali; wildlife (moose mostly); and a sprawling landscape that disguised distances to the naked eye. Back only a handful of days, I just started looking through photos of the trip.
The beauty and grandeur of Alaska is something I cannot recommend enough to everyone – for them to see it for themselves.
Here some things I was looking at this week:
Independence Day, 2019. I’m thankful for the opportunities this country affords, and for the history that this country has made. I worry too, for the choices we do make as a nation, and for what the next ten, twenty-five, or hundred years will bring. I won’t see 2119, but I’m planning on making it to 2100.
(My goal was 2,095, but what’s five more years?)
The world has changed dramatically, and continues to do so. As the fireworks ignite tonight, think of what that looked like 243 years ago – and what our descendants will see 243 years from now.
After a wonderful trip up through Alaska and Canada, I am down south again. My intention was to maintain posting every day during the trip, but it became too difficult for me to maintain while I was traveling. But now I’m back, nearly over the jet lag, and ready to hit the ground running.
This week, I’ll be writing about what I read last month, the fourth and its significance for me, and of course, my travels.
Though I am glad to be stationary for a bit, I think Alaska will stay with me in a way like no other place has.
Some of the things that caught my attention up north.
I may end up living here.
The end.
Made it! Of course, a six am flight isn’t my idea of ideal travel conditions. But at least I was able to sleep a bit on the first leg of the journey. But not enough.
Arrived in Seattle for a quick turnaround, then on to Anchorage. It was just after noon local time, so we walked around a bit, ate, then slept. Now it’s off for the next day.
And we’re off. I’ve been planning for this trip for nearly a year. Now, finally, it’s here. I know that it won’t disappoint.
There are many people I’ve spoken with who’ve told me how amazing of a trip this is. There are internet sites, and people posting on that annoying Instagram app… All about Alaska. And I wonder, would John Muir recognize it, with all this notoriety? This land that’s been called simply: “Great.”
“Never before this had I been embosomed in scenery so hopelessly beyond description.” – John Muir
Perhaps I attract those who like to travel. Perhaps it’s a similar feeling in myself that allows those to open up to me – like attracts like.
But perhaps it’s that the tourism trade has done a number on exploring. What is exploration anymore? What is the journey vs. the destination? What is vacation vs. life?
These are things that I will ponder looking out upon the expanse of this wonderful State.
Books Bought:
Books Read:
The month was busier than the last, and I wasn’t able to commit as much time to books as I would like. The only reason Dispatcher and Rooster Bar were finished was owing to their relatively short page counts. Black Klansman was a shorter one also, but I didn’t get it finished in the last week of the month.
I spent some time with Benjamin Graham’s book, one of the seminal works on investing. I had first purchased it back in the early 00s, possibly at the recommendation of my father. But I didn’t give it that much attention.
Since I started investing again maybe eighteen months ago, and this was on my to-read list, I picked up another copy used (the first one is somewhere in storage). The advice has stood up over time owing primarily to its simplicity – invest in companies that have good value for the price. I’m maybe five chapters in, and it’s got some heft to it.
A lot of these books were revisits. Anasi Boys, Godel et al., and Slip of the Keyboard were all something I had at least perused in the past. The first two I’ve owned, but repurchased for convenience. Pratchett’s I had read some selections from, but not owned previously.
Most of the month was spent reading grants, rather than books. It was scoring time for one of the committees I’m on, and I had thirty organizations to score. So I bought a few books to remind me that I will eventually read everything I own (I hope).
Hofstadter, Greene, Florescu, and Lee were purchased secondhand at a little book store I found. The latter two I was unfamiliar with, but picked them up owing to my preoccupation with the supernatural. Lycanthia is supposed to be a fun werewolf novel. I’ve come across Tanith Lee once or twice, but am otherwise unfamiliar with her work.
I greatly enjoyed Rooster Bar. I’m not sure what it is about the prose style Grisham uses, but it flows easily and moves quick. It had been several years since last reading but me of his novels, and I had forgotten what I liked about them. This was a nice refresher.
Elegant Universe I may take with me on my trip tomorrow, but I’m always conflicted about which book to bring on travels. I try and go light, and who knows what bookstores I may find while out and about.
Michael's Musings 