I wanted to share a fantastic quote by Albert Einstein:

The efforts of most human-beings are consumed in the struggle for

their daily bread, but most of those who are, either through fortune

or some special gift, relieved of this struggle are largely absorbed

in further improving their worldly lot. Beneath the effort directed

toward the accumulation of worldly goods lies all too frequently the

illusion that this is the most substantial and desirable end to be

achieved; but there is, fortunately, a minority composed of those who

recognize early in their lives that the most beautiful and satisfying

experiences open to humankind are not derived from the outside, but

are bound up with the development of the individual’s own feeling,

thinking and acting. The genuine artists, investigators and thinkers

have always been persons of this kind. However inconspicuously the

life of these individuals runs its course, none the less the fruits of

their endeavors are the most valuable contributions which one

generation can make to its successors.

Last night the first flakes of snow fell on Providence.  When I awoke, the ground had been lightly covered by the white dust of snow, and everything from trees to cars to rooftops carried the brightness of sunlight stored in ice.  Due to Providence’s proximity to the water, we don’t get much snow here, and given that I grew up in the semi-arid climate of Los Angeles, I get very excited whenever meteorology conspires to bring these beautiful conditions to my backyard.  Granted, the novelty of snow wears off fairly quickly, as the purity soon turns to slush and muck, but I refuse to believe that idealism and perfectionism inherent to youth must inevitably give way to cynicism and doubt.  I feel very strongly that the entire cycle of beauty and passion are to be appreciated and celebrated–from the initial first rush, to the inevitable slush, to the crackle and decay of wood and leaves.  I wrote a poem dealing with this very issue last year. The poem, titled ”The First Snow,” expresses my firm belief that ideals–purity, idealism, beauty–are not the problem, rather, the problem is with people who are unable to do those ideals justice.  Read on for more musings and photos of the snow!

It’s already July 20th.  The summer sun is bearing down on Providence, and as I spend my days working on my various projects, cycling and trying to stay cool, I am continually amazed by how fast the days, weeks, months and even years seem to be going by.  It feels like it was just January and I was celebrating the New Year.  Half a year has gone by seemingly in the blink of an eye.  Each day I awake, go about my business, and before I know it I am preparing for bed.  Never before have I been so busy and active; perhaps that accounts for the speed with which life seems to be moving along.

But something else is happening as well.  It’s almost as though I’ve entered a new phase in my life.  I am moving into adulthood.  My sense of time is different.  I am aware of my age, the age of others, and the entire arc of time that takes one from childhood to adulthood to old age and then death.  That is not meant to be depressing–it’s just that I am becoming more cognizant of the way time flows.  I never used to think about these things– the age of my parents, my own age, the passage of time–but now those things are always on my mind.

Now that I’m feeling myself again, I’m eager to get back on track in terms of doing the things I love to do. I thought I’d write down several realistic goals here, and then work to ensure that I actually achieve them.
1) Fitness
Ever since the weather turned cold here in Providence I’ve been, let’s say, lax about cycling and running. Granted, I have continued to ride my bike for transportation purposes, and I walk everywhere else, but I have ceased going on leisurely bike rides and runs. I would like to change that.

Especially given the fact that I only have class twice a week, it doesn’t seem unreasonable for me to find the time to do an hour to an hour and a half of cycling or running more fairly frequently. Therefore, I’d like to set the goal for myself of at least an hour of physical activity (not including walking) 5 days a week. That should include at least three bike rides a week. The aim is not to transform myself into some kind of behemoth with bulging muscles; rather, I want to get outside, feel the beating of my heart and the rush of cool air against my skin. I also need to balance my intellectual interests with an activity that allows me to release the tension that builds up in my body when I think about changing the way we generate power, get from place to place, and grow our food.

I cannot sleep. Or rather I choose not to because I prefer to pursue the course of thoughts pulsing through my mind. Today is thanksgiving, a holiday, and one would suppose that I would “take the day off.” But I no longer know what that means. Being in a position where I am able to let my mind roam freely, yet know that that roaming will lead to a thesis, a job, a career path, means that I can dream audacious dreams made all the more powerful by the realization that I can truly make them come true. Every time I come up with a new idea more audacious than the last my first reaction is “hold it there. Let’s not get ahead ourselves.” But then something amazing happens: I read an article or a book, or a meet with a professor, and I come to understand that rather than holding myself back, I should be thinking even bigger.