Complex Numbers

Tripping

Spoiler alert: I lived.

I really do not like air travel. I mean, look: you're flying. And you're getting from one city to another in a timeframe that would shock even science fiction writers a century ago. That shit's inherently cool, and sometimes, looking out the window of an airplane, I can still feel that sense of wonder (if there aren't any barking dogs or wailing children in my vicinity). This is a triumph of science and technology, and I don't care what anyone says about the wastefulness or contribution to climate change, it is fucking cool.

And yet, we've managed to turn it into a shitshow what with security theater and its petty annoyances, the sardine-packing of the airplanes, and the labyrinthine airports themselves with their overpriced shops catering to a captive audience.

On top of which, the flights I took did this thing where you could access in-flight entertainment on your own tablet, phone, laptop, whatever - which is fine; I'd rather use my own device anyway - but they didn't have anywhere to plug the goddamn things in, rendering the feature all but useless unless you carry a spare battery or two with you. You know, those lithium batteries that are known to fucking explode. I thought the point was to not explode.

I enjoyed the trip, at least the times that didn't involve the actual traveling part, though I won't want to do it again for a while.

But... I did get to drive a Tesla for a few minutes (speaking of science fiction brought to life). That made everything else worth it all by itself. Not everything about this timeline sucks.