Trajectories

The past three years of my life have not been easy. Life-changing and interesting, but not easy. While I’m not interested in just flowing through life on easy street all the time–you don’t seem to learn anything that way–I have come to realize that I really missed playing. You know, that feeling of freedom to be goofy and joke around and not worry about what other people are thinking. I was missing out on playing not because I didn’t have great friends who wouldn’t play with me if I asked, but because I was so stressed and caught up in the never-ending tasks for graduate school that play didn’t even cross my mind as something I could do.

I needed to get away, so I joined a group of vikings on their boating adventures

I am not a natural at this whole “play thing” anyway. It has always taken work for me to let go and laugh and be silly. This last week, however, I have had many opportunities to play and enjoy life, which feels like fresh oxygen reaching my lungs for the first time in years. Chris and I have especially had a good time playing with Maria and John. The four of us live at the media lab, so when everyone else leaves to go home or to deal with other aspects of their lives, our world is pretty much right here.

Me, Chris and John after much Palinka madness

Lost in the woods without a GPS navigation system or wireless internet. How will we ever survive??

Queens of the world

On the tram system

Motherboard Table Tennis--the next wave of computer recycling

The winning team

Sooner than later, I will be starting a new job, so I am glad I had this time to feel a bit more free and a little more light-hearted. These are the times that get you through what you mother always calls “learning experiences.”