Combating Negativity

So how do you avert negativity? When it unintentionally, unconsciously, consumes part of your life, how do you pull back?

I’m trying to figure that out. Part of it seems to simply be a relinquishing of the importance of life: what is a life well lived if we don’t enjoy it? If we don’t have fun? Part of living is purely hedonistic.

Another theory I’ve considered: gratitude. Perhaps negativity is the absence of gratitude, and maybe if we reach back out to the universe with our hearts, with genuine thankfulness for all that is, not what could be, we can transcend that negativity.

As I pursue both these avenues, I remind myself how life is hard. This is a journey after all, and journeys are not composed of short easy ventures.

40 year investment

I wonder sometimes when we’ll recognize the significance of a 40 year investment. That is what it takes for us to see the dividends of a child today. Their education at five years old changed the landscape of what’s possible, in 40 years. Solid consistent build up of high expectations, critical thinking skills, and elevated literacy and numeracy… what could that do for the world in 40 years, at scale? Can we collectively decide the investment would pay for itself?

On to 88

My grandma turned 88 years old today, and she’s still going strong. You begin to cherish your time with grandparents more and more as you get older. Even though we’re still 750 miles away, every trip, every visit, is worth it. I can only wonder what it’s like to sit down to a meal surrounded by the large family you’ve created with your partner. I hope it’s as magical as it seems, because my grandma deserves it. Thank you for your intriguing stories, timeless simple wisdom, and carefree positivity. I will do my best to live up to those habits and pass it on to others. Happy birthday Grandma.

MLK Day, not any other

I’m not sure MLK Day gets enough credence. It’s nice to see his name and legacy presented on sports television, but it’s not simply another day off. His impact, and his principles, are as American as anything else: the strength of this country is its diversity. Let us not allow it to also become our weakness. Thank you Martin Luther King Jr., for all you have given the world.

Phoenix Love

Flying again, and arriving in Phoenix. Getting picked up by my dad, and arriving at my grandparents’ facility. Then relatives, near and distant, are showing up, greeting each other, spending quality time. All for my grandma. A woman soon to turn eighty-eight years old, a woman of character… and she can tell some stories. I admire her today with respect, for the progeny that traveled and then gathered around her. What else more can you ask for at eighty-eight? Health and love were reinforced today. I love you Grandma.

Effervescence

Effervescence is a legitimate phenomenon. In today’s world, we mostly only acknowledge it in a sports setting, when thousands of people are screaming for an outcome decided in real time by a few number of others (go Niners). But that cheering accounts for something, and we sort of acknowledge it, and sort of dismiss it. Momentum is real, as much on a sports field as in daily life. And it’s magnified when it involves others. When we recognize that, we can harness our full human potential.

Reflecting on Purpose

Around the turn of the new year, I like to reflect on purpose. It can be helpful to ask oneself, “am I happy with what I’m doing? Do I want to keep doing it? What is my purpose in life?” Considering such questions helps bring out the largest possible picture, of our lives as they exist within the entire space and time of the universe. We have this one life, as far as we know. What will we do with it?

Bay Back

And back to it: back to admiring the place that is the Bay Area. Driving into the city can be chaotic, and the meals can be world-class, and the interactions can be unique. That is one sliver of the San Francisco Bay Area that exists in any given moment for you.

Jet Lag Phenomenon

Another way to gain perspective on daily life: experience jet lag upon returning home, so that you are tired during normal waking hours, and awake during odd times of the night. It helps one assess what a “day” means in daily life, and how much energy or conviction we wish to live our lives. Because they keep ticking by, one by one, year by year, if health and time allow it. It can be so easy to become lost in the passage of time. What will we do with our days? What impact will we make? Are we contributing to the betterment of the universe, or are we simply existing?

Gaining Perspective

There are many perspectives and opinions in the world, and many of their owners are confident they are correct. It can be hard to know what to think or believe sometimes. But individual agency is an important right and an important responsibility. We should value the evidence brought forth by experts and those with deep specialization, but not blindly defer. With an increasingly educated populace, a respectful debate between individuals can also provide value.

Back Home Again

It’s always a bit surreal to be back home after a long trip, or one that jolts you to another world. You get a unique opportunity to evaluate your life and perspective from an outsider’s viewpoint. I found myself much more patient on the road this morning after being exposed to Egyptian driving. Working in an office can easily be very sedentary, and my lunchtime walk didn’t seem very far. America can be a very special place, and there are certainly flaws to work out. I’m grateful to be home and back with my loved ones. Once the jet lag has abated, it’s truly back to it.

Final Egyptian Impressions, and heading home

On to the way home. Always the least best part of the trip, because you just want to be home, get there, so you can relax and sleep. On this homeward journey though, I can’t stop thinking about all the amazing things we’ve seen. Upon post assessment, I stand by my previous assertion that Egypt is vast. There is simply so much to see, and so much to experience. The history and culture from ancient times is astounding, and the people are incredibly warm-hearted, even though their culture is much different than what I grew up in. Despite the chaos, which was incredibly frustrating at times, Egypt retains a unique charm. You have to breathe and be open to receiving it, but it’s there. I’m so thankful I was able to visit the land of one of the cradles of civilization, and I’m now just left to wonder if I will return some day. Farewell for hopefully now.

The Great Pyramids

You’ve seen them a thousand times in pictures. But it’s surreal to stand before them, up close, in all their grandeur and glory. The Great Pyramids are the only remaining wonder of the ancient world, and they certainly invoke awe. Their sheer size dominates all that’s around them, including the modern buildings. And beyond their pure audacity, great mystery still surrounds them. How were they built, and why? They defy logic and comprehension—you feel it while standing before them. The Great Pyramids of Giza may be overrun by the machinations of mass tourism now, but the visitors come for a reason: they are one of the most incredible sites in the world, and by themselves justify a trip to Egypt.

Cairo First Impressions

As the cacophony of honking horns surrounds me on our hotel terrace overlooking the Nile, I wonder to myself if they make them differently here, with all the use they get. I think to one of my favorite movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Salah says to Indy, “welcome to Cairo, the city of the living.” The capital is certainly alive with activity. Twenty million people strong, Cairo resembles a hive, people scurrying everywhere, minarets punctuating the polluted sky. There is as much to experience here as there is to see.

And yet Coptic Cairo transports you to a resemblance of Europe, with the oldest churches in Africa and Christian cemeteries. Wandering around Islamic Cairo, with few vehicles, almost takes you back to medieval times. Cairo is a city with many faces. And if you can get past the chaos, see through it, you’ll discover a very unique place.

To the Capital

And on to Cairo. We’ve traveled down the Nile almost the entire length of Egypt, starting from the south at Lake Nasser, and will finish in the capital, close to the delta that flows into the Mediterranean Sea. It’s been a fascinating experience to see the country change as we’ve traveled north. The Nubian culture of the south has faded into the Arabic culture of Luxor and Cairo in the north. The cities have become larger and more developed. The sites have become more concentrated. And yet the Nile goes on. We have crossed it several times, in all three of our previous stops, and will again in Cairo. To the final disembarkment on our adventure in this mesmerizing country.

Old and New Egypt

Not far outside of Luxor, as you cross the transition between fertile “black land” near the Nile river to the desert, you’ll see locals heating mud bricks, boys and men riding donkeys through empty land, and young children herding goats. People live as they have for hundreds, if not thousands of years. This is all visible not far from the shrines of Karnak and Luxor Temples, just 30 minutes north. Karnak of course, representing the pinnacle of Egyptian civilization during the New Kingdom, could not be a more impressive site. Its grandeur and sheer size starkly contrast with the simple life of the modern local just 15 miles north. This is Egypt. It is a country of totality, one that astounds in every way. It’s been an adventure.

Egyptian Tombs

It’s difficult to fathom how much effort went into the Egyptian tombs. The societies that existed thousands of years ago produced art that looks freshly created, and there are innumerable lingering mysteries. Even with today’s technology and our current understanding of the world, we can’t explain all they produced. It’s truly awe-inspiring. Every trip to Africa has changed my life; this time, in this way, it’s different.

Vast Egypt

There is so much to see in this vast country of Egypt. At this point, if I had to describe it in one word, that’s the one I’d choose: vast. The desert that surrounds every single urban area is vast. Our entire journey thus far has taken us down the vast Nile river, the longest in the world. Temples and tombs litter the Nile valley, monuments and relics of a vast ancient history. The one hundred million-plus people within the country today, warm and welcoming, represent a vast population. Egypt continues to wow, its power to defy belief vast and omnipotent. Let’s continue the ride.

Learning in 2023

We witness these ancient belief systems from the art and architecture of civilizations long past, and we compare them to our current understanding of the universe. How sure the Egyptian pharaonic societies were of their many gods and their determination of daily life. How confident we are now in our edification of science. There is always so much unknown. We must learn to respect it as we continue to learn. The first day of the year always feels like a clean slate; another opportunity to understand and experience the universe better. Here’s to 2023 serving as our best chance yet.

New Years on the Nile

It’s surreal to spend New Year’s Eve sailing on the Nile river. I hope it portends further adventure in 2023, as the journey in 2022 has been full of it. I’ve been so fortunate to see so much of the world this past year. We truly live on an amazing planet, bursting with incredible life, diverse cultures and peoples, and mesmerizing natural geography. Egypt has been no exception: there’s something ethereal about the desert, and the cities evoke the timelessness of the civilization that’s been here for the past 7,000 years. I couldn’t imagine a more fitting place to reflect on the passage of time, express gratitude for all we enjoy on Earth, and to wonder about the future.