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On the Road, Again

I attended MathFest in Indianapolis last week; the day after I flew back I left with my wife and son to drive to Pennsylvania, and we drove to Long Island yesterday. Our current plan is to drive back on Friday but our daughter who hadn't planned to accompany us is recovering from COVID and we may head back early if she needs assistance.

I am a creature of structure, with set routines that not only make it easier for others to rely upon me but also, as I grow older and my memory dulls, make it easier to trust in myself and not have to constantly check if I've done what I intended to. My checklists, written and unwritten, give me a good deal of self-confidence. (Whether or not that is earned is a subject for another day.)

When by myself at the conference I instituted little routines in my hotel room to allow me to relax and not have to constantly be creative. I have traveled to conferences for decades so these kinds of routines are second-nature to me by now.

Traveling with my wife and son is different. They are much more spontaneous than I and I find myself rolling with constant changes in plans. This is not bad, particularly as my son is an adult and my parenting is less of a commitment to vigilance.

My skin suffered long-term sun damage when I was younger and most summers part of my face is scraped off to prevent skin cancer from forming. I was never a beach person but now my dermatologist has truthfully given me an excuse to not go along with the family. I am content to find a quiet table in an air-conditioned space with my laptop and deal with correspondence, follow the news, etc. For me this is a vacation.

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