Through My Fingers

I am, I was, and I will always be a Physics major.  I did it.  I spent 4 years of hard work, late nights, grueling exams, and probably knocked several years off my life, but I did it and no one can take that away from me.

In the 2 and a half years since then of hardly doing a single Physics problem or exercise, I think I've lost it all.  I still have the fundamental intuition that will hopefully never fade, but can't really do it anymore.  I can't walk the walk anymore.  I can't list off the postulates of relativity, find the eigen values of a matrix, solve a non-linear differential equation, simplify a wave equation, know the shortcuts for solving even and odd functions, use the cross product to find the flux through a loop of wire and with that calculate the magnitude of the magnetic field created, I can't do any of it.  It's all been slipping away and what's worse is that there is no indication that I will need to use any of these skills in my line of work so they will slowly continue to completely disappear.  I still proudly say that I majored in Physics and will do so whenever I am asked until the day I die, but my foundation that backs up that statement has fallen away.

Flying Into the Future

I’m writing this while high over the Pacific. Wait, I’m not high. The plane is very far above the Earth. Anyway, I know I’ll not be able to update right when I get in so this will have to suffice for a little while.

This journey to the Philippines is a journey into the future in several regards. First of all, I am moving into the future relativistically. I did a quick and relatively simple time dilation calculation (come on, I spent four years studying Physics. I have to use it for something). Anyway, I made a couple estimates and calculated that based on my velocity in the plane and the amount of time in the air, the principles of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity predict that I’m essentially moving 25 microseconds into the future. I can’t even blink my eye in that amount of time, so don’t be too jealous.

The second way I’m traveling into the future is that I’m leaving on Wednesday afternoon and arriving Thursday night even though the flight lasts for less than 11 hours. This is the first time in my life that I have ever crossed the International Date Line. It has shot me into the future, at least when looking at a calendar.

The other way that I consider this flight taking me into the future is the metaphorical sense. I have made the leap. I’ve let go of the life I know so well, but I’m doing it much to the extent that a boomerang does, which will inevitably return before taking off again. With fire in my eyes, I am opening this new chapter of my life and I feel like I did when I was 5 years old waiting to open presents on Christmas morning. The differences should be clear, but the similarities are undeniable. I know that everything waiting for me is exciting and will provide entertainment for a long time, but I don’t know exactly what to expect. Presents, they don’t play themselves; it’s up to me to use imagination and child-like enthusiasm to take the toys out and use them to have fun. Likewise, I can’t expect to sit around and let experiences fall upon me; I must be active no matter what it is.

This flight is certainly taking me into the future. There will be difficulties, problems, complications, troubles, and hardships. With those will come experience, rewards, excitement, adventure, and fun. I say bring it on!