I often wish I could go back in time, and I haven't been successful in doing so yet, but if I found a way to do so, two major times in my life would be at the top of the destinations list: 1.) right after high school before college, and 2.) right after college before law school. If I could go back in time and tell my 18-year-old or 21-year-old self something, this is what it would be:
1.) Life really starts after high school. Whatever you did during high school and before, doesn't really matter because your life can has the largest combination of possible results, can go in so many different directions from there. Don't dwell on what happened before (I was still dwelling on not being able to win a chess championship in high school), go forth with a fresh mind, say yes to most of the things you want to do and is within your budget and not illegal, Try everything! (from the Disney movie Zootopia, although that song itself is more trying to get people to buy more products, almost all inspirational songs are like that, I learned that after college).
2.) I didn't have a good concept of money during high school, after all you just get your lunch money every day and some allowance, and life is good, right? College is the first major expense any kid really goes through, and the amount of money probably doesn't hit home until years later, when you have to work for that money. My parents even paid for my first car! That's why my friends' parents made him pay for his own college or go into debt, to instill a sense of financial responsibility (not the worst idea).Money can't buy everything, but you can't not have money. Luckily, spending money on education isn't the worst way to spend money and usually has a positive return over a lifetime based on the doors that the degree can open and the eventual money the degree can earn for you, plus the intangible value of friends made in college, experiences, social wisdom, gained, etc., but it's important not to just let parents handle paying for college (College is SUPER EXPENSIVE now, if you haven't been paying attention) and not even know how much one is paying. There's a value for everything in the world, especially college. 钱并不是万能的，没有钱是万万不能的 ...
2b.) Invest money! Every consumer education class says to invest money early, but it's really lost on kids who never had much money to invest. I never had much money in the bank account until after law school, so it never seemed necessary to put in the paltry cash from summer jobs. Do it anyway! Pay off debts first, then put money into a mutual fund, annuity, something. Even just going online and shifting funds from checking account to savings account, although savings account doesn't pay much interest.
3.) Do research about colleges. College/ any higher education is not the end all and be all. They're a business that's trying to keep their business going, and students have to look at it at least somewhat as an investment to get ahead in life. That's why certain majors (European art comes to mind) that don't have that practical an application might be good if that's your life passion, but not so good for being marketable for employers, which is what most people's goal for college is and SHOULD be. Going through college as a trust fund baby is one thing, but for most people you need a J-O-B after college, and you have to consider the most practical majors, and the people who get the most bang out of college do. (I'm talking sciences like biology, chemistry, engineering, computer science. Yes I know they're hard, but life is hard. And employers will be looking for these backgrounds later in your career, no matter what field- in law employers often look for people with hard science backgrounds, lot of patent cases). Accounting + finance, insurance, math- OK. It's a simple demand vs. supply concept- less people like to do the hard sciences and go through the grueling curriculum, meaning there's less supply of those people out there and more demand for their services.
4.) Learning a language is not just a cool thing you mention at parties, it really helps in all facets of life. In high school I would have NEVER thought I would learn languages as part of my work, I regarded high school French as just a fun period between history and chemistry. I look back now and wonder why I didn't take it more seriously. I'm biased because my job depends on learning language, but it's never a bad thing to have on a resume and allowed me to meet so many different people with different backgrounds. Don't get me started on why Mandarin is such a good language to have and why it's a gift that Chinese parents give to their kids. (It is SO hard for people of other languages, even sister languages Korean and Japanese, to learn Mandarin, I think if robots start universally translating languages Mandarin will be the last one to die because of its vast Kanji pictograph universe and different tones making it so difficult for a computer to even detect.)
5.) Don't get too caught up in entertainment, video games, sports, etc. They're fun distractions, and people do make money from them (the movie industry, Korean video game players), but the same concept of supply and demand apply: unless you're at the top of the heap, there's too many who want to enter that industry for the same reason that you like those things: they're fun and interesting for people. Try to focus more on articles about the world, economy, etc. Sports and games will always be there, but a young mind needs real life to sharpen its use. Quick aside: I know a guy from college, poker player who won some money playing in college, now he still does it but "is still looking for his big shot." Not the way (IMO) to spend your golden 20s, when you can learn so much and experience so many things.
6.) Never stop learning. Always be humble, you're never done learning. The worst thing about being 18 for me was thinking I was "the bomb," that I was at the top of my class at a surbuban Chicago high school and was going to dominate life with ease. That was a really bad attitude and I would have been better served thinking I was a nobody. College quickly exposed to me to people much smarter than I was, more ready for life, more focused on what they wanted to do, and more willing to learn and put in the work. I didn't realize until like the second or third year of college that I might fall behind, then even in law school I didn't realize until the end of first year that "not everyone who goes to law school gets a job and just makes it big." There are no guarantees in life, which is why we should always keep working and learning from others.
7.) Acne will eventually go away, but in the meantime, try to look your best. It took a long time, but I finally was able to brighten my self appearance. Finally, after I met MJ, did I really understand the importance of how other people perceive you, whether it's dating partners or company interviews. It's unfortunately a pretty shallow world, like the song "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup warned you. You gotta put on a show sometimes to fit into the cruel world.
8.) Hate to break it to little Robert, but Sears Tower (Willis Tower) is no longer the tallest building in the world. In fact, it's not even the 10th tallest building in the world. So many tall buildings were built in the last decade that Willis is now just 15th on the list, and at last check the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was the tallest building in the world. Just a metaphor that the world is always changing, and us people have to adapt or get left behind.
9.) Take as many photos as you can, man! Don't have to do those cool Youtube videos of taking a selfie every day for 10 years, but......Life only happens once, you never know when you might look back at a time and place and recall those times fondly. Even the most mundane times like being depressed in an office, those are memories! Enhance them.
10.) Write a blog! I would have told my 18 year old to start something just like this, and luckily 19-year-old Robert listened and put down most of his thoughts, even though it was juvenile ramblings about fantasy sports and reality TV at first, it really showed the evolution of one's thoughts and moods and is great to look back on ten years later. 40-year-old Robert's advice: probably maintain this blog and make it more about professional endeavors! Working on it!
Fantasize on in 2018,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Robert Yan
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Job (일)
"Job" in Korean is a very simple sound ("Il") that sounds just like the number "one" in Korean, and for many people the job is No. 1. It takes up the No. 1 most amount of time on weekdays, it is our No. 1 way of attaining income, it's our No. 1 source of stress when we do have a job, it's No. 1 source of stress when we DON'T have one.
1.) Try not to let it be a measure of one's self-worth or value. I made the mistake of succumbing to that, and it's natural: my parents so thoroughly emphasized the need to have a job, I thought it was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and when I didn't have one I felt like a loser. Society does that too, there's a stigma of being unemployed or "fun-employed." Don't get suckered in! Many people who do have a job are awful, many people who don't have a job are great, or they're not working for other reasons.
2.) I get very excited about sending out resumes for jobs or going to interviews as the ads seem so cool. Great opportunity! Apply now! Excellent work atmosphere! The grass is always greener on the other side, but then I actually go the interview or start working somewhere and realize, it's not my dream job. I'm stuck at my desk again. Until I make a drastic change in profession (suddenly they need actors who speak English and all 3 CJK languages!) that sitting-at-a-desk thing isn't going to change too much.
3.) There are truly a LOT of jobs out there in the world. That's not to discourage or encourage job seekers, but just an observation of how many people are out there in the working world. I don't get out of my little cubicle or social bubble much, but when I do find myself in new places during working hours (for interviews, visiting friends, other occasions) I realize how many offices there are in the world, how many buildings in cities are full of occupied floors and rooms with people working in them, how many people are working at the stores and restaurants (not just the servers in the front but the kitchen staff you don't even see!), construction sites, even our apartment building has full time staff working the front! And I haven't even counted all the people working remotely from home/ self-employed! I guess it makes sense, as many age 18-65 people there are in the world, there's gotta be enough jobs for almost all of them, society's way of keeping everybody busy.
4.) Still a lot of office jobs like you'd see from a set of The Office, despite all the modernization and technology. Travel agencies, phone companies, etc. that you could have seen from the 1980's. Hell, 4 billion people don't have internet access. So despite what I hear (and desperately dread) about computers taking over everyone's jobs, that still hasn't arrived, if only because society needs to keep people busy and positive contributors to society.
5.) I might have talked about this already, but it'd be really nice to space out shifts for going to work to space out rush hour, having some people arrive around 7AM and leave by 3PM, and some people come from 11AM and leave by 7PM. To some extent this already happens, but the 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 creates way too much of a bottleneck for traffic and even elevators going up floors. (I work at a 15-floor building with SIX elevators and it still takes a while for the elevator to come.) Maybe schools can do the same? The most wondrous time for commuters is during the holidays when schools are out and some people have gone on vacation, it's a world of difference in the commuting time and stress.
6.) I still get surprised sometimes by unique jobs that I didn't know you could get paid for. "That's actually a job?" is something I ask frequently, and sometimes when I scroll through Craigslist. This coming from someone who didn't really know how a Youtuber worked (btw, the most fashionable job that kids want to have when they grow up nowadays). I KNEW when Youtube first came out in 2006 and the lonelygirl15 videos become a sensation (but then was revealed as a hoax) that Youtube was going to be big and a creator of jobs!
7.) Not having a job can seem like the loneliest thing in the world, I know from experience (I once described it as being in a room full of people at first but then others gradually being called out for this awesome opportunity and slowly the room dwindling down to just you, and you're left behind). Well, after having been there I can say that actually getting a job isn't THAT great, I sometimes wonder at work whether I'd be better off back on the other side spending my precious life "living my life" than just pursuing the money, most people don't necessarily like their jobs (some lucky few like me kinda do, the ultimate goal for everyone is to do something that they love!). A job makes one emotional like that: it's like chocolate: you want it desperately when you don't have it, but once you have it you wonder how much more of it you can take.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
1.) Try not to let it be a measure of one's self-worth or value. I made the mistake of succumbing to that, and it's natural: my parents so thoroughly emphasized the need to have a job, I thought it was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and when I didn't have one I felt like a loser. Society does that too, there's a stigma of being unemployed or "fun-employed." Don't get suckered in! Many people who do have a job are awful, many people who don't have a job are great, or they're not working for other reasons.
2.) I get very excited about sending out resumes for jobs or going to interviews as the ads seem so cool. Great opportunity! Apply now! Excellent work atmosphere! The grass is always greener on the other side, but then I actually go the interview or start working somewhere and realize, it's not my dream job. I'm stuck at my desk again. Until I make a drastic change in profession (suddenly they need actors who speak English and all 3 CJK languages!) that sitting-at-a-desk thing isn't going to change too much.
3.) There are truly a LOT of jobs out there in the world. That's not to discourage or encourage job seekers, but just an observation of how many people are out there in the working world. I don't get out of my little cubicle or social bubble much, but when I do find myself in new places during working hours (for interviews, visiting friends, other occasions) I realize how many offices there are in the world, how many buildings in cities are full of occupied floors and rooms with people working in them, how many people are working at the stores and restaurants (not just the servers in the front but the kitchen staff you don't even see!), construction sites, even our apartment building has full time staff working the front! And I haven't even counted all the people working remotely from home/ self-employed! I guess it makes sense, as many age 18-65 people there are in the world, there's gotta be enough jobs for almost all of them, society's way of keeping everybody busy.
4.) Still a lot of office jobs like you'd see from a set of The Office, despite all the modernization and technology. Travel agencies, phone companies, etc. that you could have seen from the 1980's. Hell, 4 billion people don't have internet access. So despite what I hear (and desperately dread) about computers taking over everyone's jobs, that still hasn't arrived, if only because society needs to keep people busy and positive contributors to society.
5.) I might have talked about this already, but it'd be really nice to space out shifts for going to work to space out rush hour, having some people arrive around 7AM and leave by 3PM, and some people come from 11AM and leave by 7PM. To some extent this already happens, but the 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 creates way too much of a bottleneck for traffic and even elevators going up floors. (I work at a 15-floor building with SIX elevators and it still takes a while for the elevator to come.) Maybe schools can do the same? The most wondrous time for commuters is during the holidays when schools are out and some people have gone on vacation, it's a world of difference in the commuting time and stress.
6.) I still get surprised sometimes by unique jobs that I didn't know you could get paid for. "That's actually a job?" is something I ask frequently, and sometimes when I scroll through Craigslist. This coming from someone who didn't really know how a Youtuber worked (btw, the most fashionable job that kids want to have when they grow up nowadays). I KNEW when Youtube first came out in 2006 and the lonelygirl15 videos become a sensation (but then was revealed as a hoax) that Youtube was going to be big and a creator of jobs!
7.) Not having a job can seem like the loneliest thing in the world, I know from experience (I once described it as being in a room full of people at first but then others gradually being called out for this awesome opportunity and slowly the room dwindling down to just you, and you're left behind). Well, after having been there I can say that actually getting a job isn't THAT great, I sometimes wonder at work whether I'd be better off back on the other side spending my precious life "living my life" than just pursuing the money, most people don't necessarily like their jobs (some lucky few like me kinda do, the ultimate goal for everyone is to do something that they love!). A job makes one emotional like that: it's like chocolate: you want it desperately when you don't have it, but once you have it you wonder how much more of it you can take.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Christmas Eve (クリスマスイブ)
An important but often neglected tradition, the annual installation of Christmas lights, is definitely part of my childhood/ now adulthood. My parents either really loved the idea of Christmas after they came from China to the US, or they were doing it for me to raise me in an American-style household, or they got sucked into the consumer culture of Christmas, but Christmas was a pretty big deal in our household. I still remember the first time I got a Super Nintendo on Christmas when I was 7, I was absolutely convinced Santa Clause existed. The first year we moved into our own house in the suburbs, we started putting up Christmas lights. This is a BIG deal in the suburbs, as it's where families indoctrinate their children with the Christmas spirit but also light up the streets with Christmas decorations so their neighbors can also enjoy it. To this day I feel like Christmas decorations and weddings are almost equally for other people than the people in charge of them, they are positive externalities for society, no one's forcing people to put up Christmas decorations, people just want to share the holiday share, might be one of the more positive signs for humankind.
One of my favorite traditions on Christmas eve (other than having a HUGE dinner and possibly watching Elf or Home Alone for the umpteenth time) is to walk around at night to view everyone else's Christmas lights in the neighborhood. In middle-upper-middle class neighborhoods like my parents', the lights can be pretty impressive. A few neighbors take it up a notch, getting all their neighbors on the block to put up lights so that the whole block lights up at night like a Santa village. The decorations get better each year because everyone has the old decorations, plus they add the new innovations, like this year the hot new trend was a spotlight shining onto a screen to get an illumination feel, it's almost like Zoo Lights light show quality. Some households are on vacation or just don't have time to turn on their lights every night, but I think on Christmas Eve night EVERYONE does their darnedest to turn on the lights and keep'em on all night, so you get the maximum effect. If only Southern California ever got any snow, it would just make the whole effect even better.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
One of my favorite traditions on Christmas eve (other than having a HUGE dinner and possibly watching Elf or Home Alone for the umpteenth time) is to walk around at night to view everyone else's Christmas lights in the neighborhood. In middle-upper-middle class neighborhoods like my parents', the lights can be pretty impressive. A few neighbors take it up a notch, getting all their neighbors on the block to put up lights so that the whole block lights up at night like a Santa village. The decorations get better each year because everyone has the old decorations, plus they add the new innovations, like this year the hot new trend was a spotlight shining onto a screen to get an illumination feel, it's almost like Zoo Lights light show quality. Some households are on vacation or just don't have time to turn on their lights every night, but I think on Christmas Eve night EVERYONE does their darnedest to turn on the lights and keep'em on all night, so you get the maximum effect. If only Southern California ever got any snow, it would just make the whole effect even better.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Chinese poems (唐詩三百首)
My grandfather used to teach me math and Mandarin Chinese at home in a sort of home school supplemental curriculum, and to this day I think I learned some of my most important lessons from him, especially instilling in me a willingness to learn and be thirsty for knowledge. As I learn new languages now, I remember even back then I was curious about Chinese words and culture, asking questions and really getting into Chinese culture and Chinese history in particular, with different dynasties and ruling parties fighting over China through the centuries.
One of the more unique exercises I did with my grandpa was to learn famous Chinese poems by memorizing them, basically reciting them over and over again until it stuck. Nothing fancy. I'm not a big fan of poems and never was able to create any original works other than Roses are red, violets are blue, and Dr. Seuss was as far as I got to analyzing poems for their quality. The Chinese poems had a certain rhythm to them, some of them did rhyme but just the way that the words fit together in Chinese seem to create a different kind of intonation or music to them, or maybe it was just my younger self thinking it was cool.
Poems had different themes and tone depending on the poet, they varied from contemplating one's hometown will thinking during a silent night (by Li Bai, the most famous poem by the most famous poet in China) to reminiscing about a mother's love for her son, to warning people against wasting any food because the farmers in the fields have toiled many hours for just one grain of rice (I got that poem a LOT when I was a kid). The historical background of these poems is pretty cool, apparently one poem about a bean and a beanstalk both being in boiled in the same pot was created by a noble who was about to be executed by his brother, the king, out of jealousy and paranoia of people coming after his power, and the brother king summoned the poet brother to make a poem on the spot or be executed. The bean poem (we're all from the same beanstalk, why do you want to boil me so hastily?) really caught on with the king, who spared his brother's life, and historians, who loved the context.
My new favorite, though, after having revisited some of the poems with my grandpa this Christmas Eve, is the following:
生当作人杰，
死亦为鬼雄。
至今思项羽，
不肯过江东。
Basically a classic sentiment of heroes and romanticism of urging people to be great talents and aim to achieve great things, and even in death become a hero ghost. In the same breath it reminds people to think like a great ruler called Xiang Yu, who took his own life after a losing battle samurai-style to avoid the shame of going back to his people a loser, putting him on a pedestal like, look, die with honor and your name can go on for eternity. I think many of us want to do that, do something big and commit ourselves to the cause, even if our life depends on it, but in the me-me-me society nowadays nobody wants to commit their life to fighting a cause, because there's so much out there that we all want to experience and see, and we've been trained since birth to take care ourselves. Warriors like Xiang Yu didn't know anything else except being great warriors and fighting for their people, and other than that dedicated purpose they had nothing else. I love this poem because it brings me back to a simpler time and teaches us lessons from that time, and only in 20 kanji words! Beautiful in its simplicity.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
One of the more unique exercises I did with my grandpa was to learn famous Chinese poems by memorizing them, basically reciting them over and over again until it stuck. Nothing fancy. I'm not a big fan of poems and never was able to create any original works other than Roses are red, violets are blue, and Dr. Seuss was as far as I got to analyzing poems for their quality. The Chinese poems had a certain rhythm to them, some of them did rhyme but just the way that the words fit together in Chinese seem to create a different kind of intonation or music to them, or maybe it was just my younger self thinking it was cool.
Poems had different themes and tone depending on the poet, they varied from contemplating one's hometown will thinking during a silent night (by Li Bai, the most famous poem by the most famous poet in China) to reminiscing about a mother's love for her son, to warning people against wasting any food because the farmers in the fields have toiled many hours for just one grain of rice (I got that poem a LOT when I was a kid). The historical background of these poems is pretty cool, apparently one poem about a bean and a beanstalk both being in boiled in the same pot was created by a noble who was about to be executed by his brother, the king, out of jealousy and paranoia of people coming after his power, and the brother king summoned the poet brother to make a poem on the spot or be executed. The bean poem (we're all from the same beanstalk, why do you want to boil me so hastily?) really caught on with the king, who spared his brother's life, and historians, who loved the context.
My new favorite, though, after having revisited some of the poems with my grandpa this Christmas Eve, is the following:
生当作人杰，
死亦为鬼雄。
至今思项羽，
不肯过江东。
Basically a classic sentiment of heroes and romanticism of urging people to be great talents and aim to achieve great things, and even in death become a hero ghost. In the same breath it reminds people to think like a great ruler called Xiang Yu, who took his own life after a losing battle samurai-style to avoid the shame of going back to his people a loser, putting him on a pedestal like, look, die with honor and your name can go on for eternity. I think many of us want to do that, do something big and commit ourselves to the cause, even if our life depends on it, but in the me-me-me society nowadays nobody wants to commit their life to fighting a cause, because there's so much out there that we all want to experience and see, and we've been trained since birth to take care ourselves. Warriors like Xiang Yu didn't know anything else except being great warriors and fighting for their people, and other than that dedicated purpose they had nothing else. I love this poem because it brings me back to a simpler time and teaches us lessons from that time, and only in 20 kanji words! Beautiful in its simplicity.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Friday, December 22, 2017
Saving Money (金をためる)
"Yo Money ain't got owners; just spenders." - Omar Little, The Wire
A very existential quote from everyone's favorite character from NOT everyone's favorite show, but I must disagree: money belongs to people who don't necessarily have to spend it right away; there's something called "saving money" that's a delicate and perhaps lost art among millennials nowadays.
Everyone likes money; money doesn't discriminate, it doesn't raise a fuss, it doesn't burden you with 30-minute video before you can access it, money doesn't get clingy and have attachment anxiety to its previous owner, it willingly serves whoever its master is. So that's why people who are lucky enough to come into possession of money need to take care of it. Nowadays, the interest rate at ranks is REALLY low, so it's beneficial to put it in something like investments or bonds, or a CD, or a Lending Club account, SOMETHING so that the money doesn't just decrease in value due to inflation.
I'll admit, I'm all about saving money. Something inside me really stirs when I see money accumulate in a bank account. Some people like the look of brand new luxury imported cars, some people like trying every restaurant in the world to pick out the most exotic dishes out there, I personally just like the satisfaction of growing my bank account. Call me Uncle Scrooge or a money hoarder, but I've never had that much money or had access to that much money; each time I raise my bank account balance is a historical high for me, and I'd like to see how far I can extend the record (Actually probably not that great of an idea, once the bank account gets too high I should probably pull it from the bank's 0.00001% interest rate........
It's not easy to save money. It takes a careful calculation of how much income is coming in, how many fixed costs there are (mortgage/rent, insurance, bills, etc.) and then the big one, the discretionary income. It seems like every time I make a purchase, I have to weigh the pleasure of receiving the good or service I'm gonna get versus the pleasure I get from seeing my bank account increase. It's not an easy choice most of the time. There were definitely times I let loose with my wallet and said "yes" to almost everything, especially the end of my twenties when I felt it was the "end of an era," and definitely more times I said "no" after I turned 30 in an attempt to "start the decade off right" with wise purchases and thinking towards the future.
Saving, unfortunately, is not a sexy term thrown around at parties or among social circles. There's nothing "cool" about saving money. People who mention it are almost doing it apologetically, like there's something wrong with it and off putting in some way. I say go for it! People (including myself, I have a big problem with this actually) love looking cool by paying for the bill or "getting it" for other people or pretending like they don't have any restraints by spending a lot, especially at Vegas or some fancy establishment, it's like going for the one-night stand, for that one night being a baller will make you a hero with everyone but then abandon you the next day when you feel empty inside (and inside the wallet), but the saving philosophy will last with you for the rest of your life and keep you feeling fulfilled, spouse material. I am definitely the latter kind, and am happily married/ on the way to many savings!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
A very existential quote from everyone's favorite character from NOT everyone's favorite show, but I must disagree: money belongs to people who don't necessarily have to spend it right away; there's something called "saving money" that's a delicate and perhaps lost art among millennials nowadays.
Everyone likes money; money doesn't discriminate, it doesn't raise a fuss, it doesn't burden you with 30-minute video before you can access it, money doesn't get clingy and have attachment anxiety to its previous owner, it willingly serves whoever its master is. So that's why people who are lucky enough to come into possession of money need to take care of it. Nowadays, the interest rate at ranks is REALLY low, so it's beneficial to put it in something like investments or bonds, or a CD, or a Lending Club account, SOMETHING so that the money doesn't just decrease in value due to inflation.
I'll admit, I'm all about saving money. Something inside me really stirs when I see money accumulate in a bank account. Some people like the look of brand new luxury imported cars, some people like trying every restaurant in the world to pick out the most exotic dishes out there, I personally just like the satisfaction of growing my bank account. Call me Uncle Scrooge or a money hoarder, but I've never had that much money or had access to that much money; each time I raise my bank account balance is a historical high for me, and I'd like to see how far I can extend the record (Actually probably not that great of an idea, once the bank account gets too high I should probably pull it from the bank's 0.00001% interest rate........
It's not easy to save money. It takes a careful calculation of how much income is coming in, how many fixed costs there are (mortgage/rent, insurance, bills, etc.) and then the big one, the discretionary income. It seems like every time I make a purchase, I have to weigh the pleasure of receiving the good or service I'm gonna get versus the pleasure I get from seeing my bank account increase. It's not an easy choice most of the time. There were definitely times I let loose with my wallet and said "yes" to almost everything, especially the end of my twenties when I felt it was the "end of an era," and definitely more times I said "no" after I turned 30 in an attempt to "start the decade off right" with wise purchases and thinking towards the future.
Saving, unfortunately, is not a sexy term thrown around at parties or among social circles. There's nothing "cool" about saving money. People who mention it are almost doing it apologetically, like there's something wrong with it and off putting in some way. I say go for it! People (including myself, I have a big problem with this actually) love looking cool by paying for the bill or "getting it" for other people or pretending like they don't have any restraints by spending a lot, especially at Vegas or some fancy establishment, it's like going for the one-night stand, for that one night being a baller will make you a hero with everyone but then abandon you the next day when you feel empty inside (and inside the wallet), but the saving philosophy will last with you for the rest of your life and keep you feeling fulfilled, spouse material. I am definitely the latter kind, and am happily married/ on the way to many savings!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Travel Fatigue (旅行疲れ)
Dear Abby (old advice column in the newspaper famous for providing life advice),
my wife MJ and I have caught a case of the travel bug recently and don't know how to shake it! In 4 consecutive weekends (including a long Thanksgiving weekend) we've been all over the United States, from the golden gates of San Francisco, to the rainy harbors of Seattle, to the snowy urban streets of downtown Manhattan, to the neon lights of busy Las Vegas. We've used various methods of transportation to get to these places, literally trains, planes, and automobiles (subway system in New York included). We've had so much fun on these trips, but to be honest, we're tired! How do we harness this travel bug and avoid the negative symptoms of travel fatigue?
These trips have been short but effective: they're a whirlwind of activity. We've typically left after my work on Friday, we get excited about the trip while packing and researching all the places well go to, and by the time we're in the air (or in the car on the way) we're so excited! It's the life I always imagined, working hard during the week but being a "weekend warrior" and traveling far away during our free time, all weekend every weekend. The only regrets I have are losing some personal items along the way (headphones, gloves- those pesky gloves always seem to get lost, and they block our fingers from the source of life itself, our smartphones!) and not having enough time to experience EVERYTHING that a place has to offer. I guess the only solution is to go back there some other time!
Travel fatigue is very real, as each time after all the new stimulus we take in (and walking! So much walking around the cities!) we're dead tired by the time we get back Sunday night or even Monday morning (bleeding into work time!) and slump into my desk at work, it almost seems like a dream and I often have to remind myself that the weekend even happened. The pictures we take, though, are all undeniable: our experiences are very real, we can still feel the icy wind blowing into our faces as we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, we can still picture the colorful burnt glass at the Chihuly Garden in Seattle, taste the fresh caught oysters at a restaurant off the San Francisco embarcadero, breathe in the smoke in the Las Vegas casinos (it took a couple days to get all that smoke out of our lungs and wash it out of our clothes!) Luckily for me, my body recovers pretty quickly, and by Tuesday or Wednesday we're ready to embark on another adventure the following weekend!
We also learned a new travel hack in Los Angeles to get to the airport (at least until the new metro line is built connecting downtown LA to LAX): drive to Aviation Station on the Metro Green Line, park in the parking lot, ride their free shuttle to the airport, then go on your way! As long as you're a weekend warrior like us and the trip is less than 72 hours, you can park for free as long as there are spots! Your readers can thank us later!
You know what Abby, I don't think travel fatigue is all that bad! Thanks, I'm cured!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
my wife MJ and I have caught a case of the travel bug recently and don't know how to shake it! In 4 consecutive weekends (including a long Thanksgiving weekend) we've been all over the United States, from the golden gates of San Francisco, to the rainy harbors of Seattle, to the snowy urban streets of downtown Manhattan, to the neon lights of busy Las Vegas. We've used various methods of transportation to get to these places, literally trains, planes, and automobiles (subway system in New York included). We've had so much fun on these trips, but to be honest, we're tired! How do we harness this travel bug and avoid the negative symptoms of travel fatigue?
These trips have been short but effective: they're a whirlwind of activity. We've typically left after my work on Friday, we get excited about the trip while packing and researching all the places well go to, and by the time we're in the air (or in the car on the way) we're so excited! It's the life I always imagined, working hard during the week but being a "weekend warrior" and traveling far away during our free time, all weekend every weekend. The only regrets I have are losing some personal items along the way (headphones, gloves- those pesky gloves always seem to get lost, and they block our fingers from the source of life itself, our smartphones!) and not having enough time to experience EVERYTHING that a place has to offer. I guess the only solution is to go back there some other time!
Travel fatigue is very real, as each time after all the new stimulus we take in (and walking! So much walking around the cities!) we're dead tired by the time we get back Sunday night or even Monday morning (bleeding into work time!) and slump into my desk at work, it almost seems like a dream and I often have to remind myself that the weekend even happened. The pictures we take, though, are all undeniable: our experiences are very real, we can still feel the icy wind blowing into our faces as we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, we can still picture the colorful burnt glass at the Chihuly Garden in Seattle, taste the fresh caught oysters at a restaurant off the San Francisco embarcadero, breathe in the smoke in the Las Vegas casinos (it took a couple days to get all that smoke out of our lungs and wash it out of our clothes!) Luckily for me, my body recovers pretty quickly, and by Tuesday or Wednesday we're ready to embark on another adventure the following weekend!
We also learned a new travel hack in Los Angeles to get to the airport (at least until the new metro line is built connecting downtown LA to LAX): drive to Aviation Station on the Metro Green Line, park in the parking lot, ride their free shuttle to the airport, then go on your way! As long as you're a weekend warrior like us and the trip is less than 72 hours, you can park for free as long as there are spots! Your readers can thank us later!
You know what Abby, I don't think travel fatigue is all that bad! Thanks, I'm cured!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Speculating on Stocks (山を張る)
Recently a lot's going on in the financial industry, including the epic rise of Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that's making everyone kick themselves over why they didn't buy some earlier. It's the finance equivalent of making people go "on tilt," where they secondguess their decision not to invest earlier on investments and abuse their regret by investing hastily on unwise investments.
To tell the truth, I've kicked myself a lot on investments as well, including so many regrets about not buying certain stocks earlier. Back in 2011, when I was advocating for buying certain stocks, like "BUY Chipotle, BUY Amzn," etc., etc., turns out the correct advice was simply to BUY ALL STOCKS!!!! as the stock market has been on an epic run since 2009 (including 2011), with certain individual stocks multiplying their value by 3 times, 5 times, 7 times. (like Amazon). It's so frustrating to think how much I could have made (ぼろ儲け) if I had a lot of money back then, and doubly frustrating that I DO have money now, but all the stocks have inflated to the level that it's possible they've peaked and there are bubble conditions in the economy, including in the housing market, and it's not as easy as it would have been in 2009/2010 at the very bottom of the market (Even the Dow Jones itself went from 6000+ to 24,000, quadrupling its value!) to go out and invest in something When we
I often have to restrain myself from regret with the other side of my brain going, "Robert, all stocks are speculation. There's no 100% guarantee of anything, you're guessing that the price of a stock will go up based on what other investors' expectations of the stock will be." They're guesses. It's like going to the blackjack table and guessing that the dealer has a 10 hidden under his 6, you're making a bet on how you think some event will turn out. Except stocks have more information underlying them that give more information to inform the speculation (and sometimes, insider trading to really help inform the decision). Buying a house (other than for the purpose of living it) is also speculation: hoping the house will rise in value or that you can rent it out at a better value. Especially in LA and major cities in LA, buying a house means speculating that there WON'T be a major correction in the housing market in the near future, where all evidence and history indicates that these things work in cycles and eventually there WILL be a correction where housing values will go down all of a sudden like in 2008. So now where am I supposed to put my investment? (Even though interest rates are still low at under 4%). Savings accounts are too low, I don't want to put all money into a CD locked up for 2 years, what to do, what to do?
I've often wondered what it would be like to make a living speculating on stocks or sports games, making bets. People do do it for a living, that's how some people roll, they make their money work for them and just live off the profit. It seems like such a thrilling prospect to support oneself by essentially winning a game, and the winning times would surely be sweet, but then I remind myself how terrible a feeling it would be to lose, where you throw way your hard earned money on simple speculating and helplessly watch as your savings go down the drain. I feel bad sometimes that I didn't invest all my money in something sometimes (after it goes up), but it would be doubly painful if I DID invest the money and lost it all. It's a terrifying feeling, being in charge of all that money that is essentially one's lifeblood. MJ can't even handle the thought of potentially losing $100, even if it means there's a chance to gain $100. "Why don't we just use the $100 to buy a really nice sweater?" I guess there's something to be said for that.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
To tell the truth, I've kicked myself a lot on investments as well, including so many regrets about not buying certain stocks earlier. Back in 2011, when I was advocating for buying certain stocks, like "BUY Chipotle, BUY Amzn," etc., etc., turns out the correct advice was simply to BUY ALL STOCKS!!!! as the stock market has been on an epic run since 2009 (including 2011), with certain individual stocks multiplying their value by 3 times, 5 times, 7 times. (like Amazon). It's so frustrating to think how much I could have made (ぼろ儲け) if I had a lot of money back then, and doubly frustrating that I DO have money now, but all the stocks have inflated to the level that it's possible they've peaked and there are bubble conditions in the economy, including in the housing market, and it's not as easy as it would have been in 2009/2010 at the very bottom of the market (Even the Dow Jones itself went from 6000+ to 24,000, quadrupling its value!) to go out and invest in something When we
I often have to restrain myself from regret with the other side of my brain going, "Robert, all stocks are speculation. There's no 100% guarantee of anything, you're guessing that the price of a stock will go up based on what other investors' expectations of the stock will be." They're guesses. It's like going to the blackjack table and guessing that the dealer has a 10 hidden under his 6, you're making a bet on how you think some event will turn out. Except stocks have more information underlying them that give more information to inform the speculation (and sometimes, insider trading to really help inform the decision). Buying a house (other than for the purpose of living it) is also speculation: hoping the house will rise in value or that you can rent it out at a better value. Especially in LA and major cities in LA, buying a house means speculating that there WON'T be a major correction in the housing market in the near future, where all evidence and history indicates that these things work in cycles and eventually there WILL be a correction where housing values will go down all of a sudden like in 2008. So now where am I supposed to put my investment? (Even though interest rates are still low at under 4%). Savings accounts are too low, I don't want to put all money into a CD locked up for 2 years, what to do, what to do?
I've often wondered what it would be like to make a living speculating on stocks or sports games, making bets. People do do it for a living, that's how some people roll, they make their money work for them and just live off the profit. It seems like such a thrilling prospect to support oneself by essentially winning a game, and the winning times would surely be sweet, but then I remind myself how terrible a feeling it would be to lose, where you throw way your hard earned money on simple speculating and helplessly watch as your savings go down the drain. I feel bad sometimes that I didn't invest all my money in something sometimes (after it goes up), but it would be doubly painful if I DID invest the money and lost it all. It's a terrifying feeling, being in charge of all that money that is essentially one's lifeblood. MJ can't even handle the thought of potentially losing $100, even if it means there's a chance to gain $100. "Why don't we just use the $100 to buy a really nice sweater?" I guess there's something to be said for that.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
記念写真 (Commemorative Photos)
I've never placed too much importance on photos. I've never been that photogenic. I often dreaded photo days at school every year because I wore really geeky glasses, or had a pimple, or had some other physical defect. Photos are also when I realize how awkward I look sometimes, or how crooked my smile is, Imagine my horror when I realized online dating was all about the photos of oneself, and those would be the ones prospective dates would scroll through and base 90% of their judgment of a prospective date on.
When I was in high school and college, I didn't take that many pictures of myself in daily life, so I lost a large section of that time, I can only recall them through memories. Luckily with the onset of smartphones and high definition cameras attached to those smartphones (unluckily for Kodak and most other camera companies) it got much easier to commemorate my life, and at the same time I developed an appreciation for documenting one's life through pictures, looking back at them from time to time during a dull time at work or stuck without internet connection. It's not that impressive seeing a photo from a few days ago cuz it JUST HAPPENED, I still remember most of the details, but it's a huge memory boost looking back at a picture more than a few years old, looking at how I looked back then, which dodgeball teams I was on, what co-workers I worked with, etc. Especially since I'm forgetful about stuff that happens as trivial details wash away quickly after a long night's sleep, it's a great reminder of good times/ how I felt during those times.
Which is why I've made it a habit nowadays to give out commemorative souvenir photos to my colleagues after each work project, it's really the only time that specific group of people work on one specific project; after it's done it's over, unlike family photos. It's really a good tradition because for that year or other defined period of working together I spend more time with those people than anyone else (except maybe MJ nowadays), not even my parents, or my closest friends. Japanese call this concept 一期一会, one time, one meeting, or treasuring the time you have with people. I can't think of any other way.
MJ and I LOVED looking at our wedding photos. The wedding goes so fast, it's hard to process what happened before it's over and guests have gone home. But the photos allow us to live the day over and over again in our minds. In high definition! And everyone is smiling most of the time! some of the best photos n my life. A lot of the times I notice in dodgeball the video of the games tell so much of what happened that I didn't see live, and same is true of our wedding. So many details I missed at the time because I was so absorbed in all the events going on and what happens next, the photos are like a time machine to go back to soak it in, enjoy it all. Like the time after vacations, when I'm at my desk at the office with some break time, I can live those vacations over and over again in my mind without being there.
I fully cherish pictures now. They're like time machines!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
When I was in high school and college, I didn't take that many pictures of myself in daily life, so I lost a large section of that time, I can only recall them through memories. Luckily with the onset of smartphones and high definition cameras attached to those smartphones (unluckily for Kodak and most other camera companies) it got much easier to commemorate my life, and at the same time I developed an appreciation for documenting one's life through pictures, looking back at them from time to time during a dull time at work or stuck without internet connection. It's not that impressive seeing a photo from a few days ago cuz it JUST HAPPENED, I still remember most of the details, but it's a huge memory boost looking back at a picture more than a few years old, looking at how I looked back then, which dodgeball teams I was on, what co-workers I worked with, etc. Especially since I'm forgetful about stuff that happens as trivial details wash away quickly after a long night's sleep, it's a great reminder of good times/ how I felt during those times.
Which is why I've made it a habit nowadays to give out commemorative souvenir photos to my colleagues after each work project, it's really the only time that specific group of people work on one specific project; after it's done it's over, unlike family photos. It's really a good tradition because for that year or other defined period of working together I spend more time with those people than anyone else (except maybe MJ nowadays), not even my parents, or my closest friends. Japanese call this concept 一期一会, one time, one meeting, or treasuring the time you have with people. I can't think of any other way.
MJ and I LOVED looking at our wedding photos. The wedding goes so fast, it's hard to process what happened before it's over and guests have gone home. But the photos allow us to live the day over and over again in our minds. In high definition! And everyone is smiling most of the time! some of the best photos n my life. A lot of the times I notice in dodgeball the video of the games tell so much of what happened that I didn't see live, and same is true of our wedding. So many details I missed at the time because I was so absorbed in all the events going on and what happens next, the photos are like a time machine to go back to soak it in, enjoy it all. Like the time after vacations, when I'm at my desk at the office with some break time, I can live those vacations over and over again in my mind without being there.
I fully cherish pictures now. They're like time machines!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Neighbor (이웃)
Neighbors (Iut in Korean)- Ned Flanders. Cosmo Kramer. Wilson (Home Improvement). I grew up in a culture where neighbors were a supremely important part of the the culture and one's everyday life. Almost every episode of The Simpsons, Seinfeld, and Home Improvement, the neighbor would make an appearance and in many cases play a large part in the plot development, whether it was offering friendly advice, being a morale boost, or partaking in the general shenanigans that were going on in the apartment.That was reflective of the real lives of everyday Americans, myself included growing up in suburban Chicago. My parents and I knew all the neighbors in every direction, what time they watered their lawns, if we could borrow a wrench or other tool, if they went to church or not, what nationality they were. Part of that was because it was a kid-friendly neighborhood and most of the neighbors had kids who we befriended, but that was part of the culture: kids played with other kids in the neighborhood. I remember vividly when I was a kid which house I knew to avoid when we were playing baseball (not to hit it in their yard), which cars when driving by belonged to whom, which doors to knock on if we went trick-or-treating or to round up kids to play a game outside. All that information wasn't available on the internet, and not even via the phone. You just knew from knowing the neighborhood and your neighbors. (This whole rant coincidentally is brought on by Bryan Cranston on the Bill Simmons podcast lamenting with him about how kids nowadays ask to get driven to playdates 20 minutes away and how at 16 every kid he knew wanted to get his driver's license. Ah the good old days- not as old as Bryan Cranston, but still)
I think America and society as a whole is missing that level of neighborly love. I live in an apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles now and we know zero people on our floor, know none of our neighbors, and don't acknowledge neighbors when they're obviously entering the apartment. It's as much my fault as the neighbors' fault, but I suspect it's reflective of the trend throughout America and the world, Iphones and the internet are taking up all our attention, the cyber world feels closer than the physical world, someone connecting via the cloud feels much closer than someone connecting 5 feet away. (It's also possible that living in Los Angeles, a West Coast city known for little patience and search for instant stardom, is partially the cause v. living in a suburban, family-values type of neighborhood).
We don't talk to people on the bus, or train, or in the elevator when we're the only 2 people in the elevator for example. Everyone's always on their headphones, looking at their phones, or it's just awkward silence. The neighbor problem spreads (like wildfire, coincidentally like the current status of LA) to general interaction with every person you encounter, you don't want to risk looking too desperate, too much like a stalker, like a creep, like you're drunk and want to have a conversation, or like you're trying to sell someone something). Often it's just that people know that if you talk to a stranger, after the conversation is over, he or she will become a total stranger again and the conversation would have been pointless. That's the most dangerous thing of all: having no incentive to talk to people, losing human interaction. It is, unfortuantely, the world we live in.
I think America and society as a whole is missing that level of neighborly love. I live in an apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles now and we know zero people on our floor, know none of our neighbors, and don't acknowledge neighbors when they're obviously entering the apartment. It's as much my fault as the neighbors' fault, but I suspect it's reflective of the trend throughout America and the world, Iphones and the internet are taking up all our attention, the cyber world feels closer than the physical world, someone connecting via the cloud feels much closer than someone connecting 5 feet away. (It's also possible that living in Los Angeles, a West Coast city known for little patience and search for instant stardom, is partially the cause v. living in a suburban, family-values type of neighborhood).
We don't talk to people on the bus, or train, or in the elevator when we're the only 2 people in the elevator for example. Everyone's always on their headphones, looking at their phones, or it's just awkward silence. The neighbor problem spreads (like wildfire, coincidentally like the current status of LA) to general interaction with every person you encounter, you don't want to risk looking too desperate, too much like a stalker, like a creep, like you're drunk and want to have a conversation, or like you're trying to sell someone something). Often it's just that people know that if you talk to a stranger, after the conversation is over, he or she will become a total stranger again and the conversation would have been pointless. That's the most dangerous thing of all: having no incentive to talk to people, losing human interaction. It is, unfortuantely, the world we live in.
Fire Disaster in LA (火災)
L.A. is a city of paradise, with tons of great natural beauty from the ocean to beautiful beaches to the mountains, but on the flip side of that it is also home to lots of potential natural disasters, including earthquakes, mud slides, drought conditions, and the one that hits really close to home (and for some people, unfortunately, literally hit their home), wildfires. It started innocently Tuesday morning when I saw on facebook (bad habit of mine, to check facebook early in the morning while my mind is fresh) when someone checked in as safe due to the St. Thomas Fire as a late night fire had spread through the city of Ventura. , I checked instinctively to make sure my parents' home in Camarillo was OK (I was, we got lucky), then almost as quickly dismissed it as just another fire, but then those concerns get reignited later that morning when there were reports of another fire near the 118, then early this morning (Wednesday) there was footage of fires burning near the Getty Center and making the I-405 seem like barbecue pit, that's when it really hit home. Fires are apparently especially dangerous this time due to the strong Santa Ana winds and have shut down even major highways, making it very scary for humans, but especially deadly for homes. Gotta imagine the houses, if they could speak, would be lamenting that the humans and animals get to just get up and run out but the houses themselves are sitting ducks for the spreading fire.
Lots of lessons to be learned from this round of fire disasters, the big one being: 1.) Check for fire insurance when buying a home (as well as earthquake insurance, other natural disaster insurance), but also 2.) fires are no joke. People are losing their homes and everything they ever owned, and it could have been my home or my parents' home that got caught in the damage, or me that woke up to our neighborhood being burned down and having to quickly grab everything and take video while we hurriedly rushed out to escape the disaster.
Stats: 96 square miles!
More than 50,000 Ventura County residents were evacuated from 15,000 homes.
But what really stuck out was the Getty Center indicating that it was keeping its priceless art in the museum despite the fires, indicating that the fires had spread close to its walls. It really looks like a scene straight out of an end-of-world armageddon movie where chaos reigns in city centers and everything we thought was safe is torn apart.
I've lived through a lot of natural disasters of various varieties growing in Chicago (blizzards, excessive heat, tornados, flash floods, etc.) but never really got caught in anything serious, in fact I've only benefited from them through school closings like snow days, where everyone gets excited about having a special day and it seems more like a holiday, but as an adult these disasters seem much more ominous and capable of causing massive damage, and it's humbling knowing one cannot control their own fate, that these things can happen without warning and that we're right in the way of these natural disasters.
At least SoCal doesn't have tsunamis.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Lots of lessons to be learned from this round of fire disasters, the big one being: 1.) Check for fire insurance when buying a home (as well as earthquake insurance, other natural disaster insurance), but also 2.) fires are no joke. People are losing their homes and everything they ever owned, and it could have been my home or my parents' home that got caught in the damage, or me that woke up to our neighborhood being burned down and having to quickly grab everything and take video while we hurriedly rushed out to escape the disaster.
Stats: 96 square miles!
More than 50,000 Ventura County residents were evacuated from 15,000 homes.
But what really stuck out was the Getty Center indicating that it was keeping its priceless art in the museum despite the fires, indicating that the fires had spread close to its walls. It really looks like a scene straight out of an end-of-world armageddon movie where chaos reigns in city centers and everything we thought was safe is torn apart.
I've lived through a lot of natural disasters of various varieties growing in Chicago (blizzards, excessive heat, tornados, flash floods, etc.) but never really got caught in anything serious, in fact I've only benefited from them through school closings like snow days, where everyone gets excited about having a special day and it seems more like a holiday, but as an adult these disasters seem much more ominous and capable of causing massive damage, and it's humbling knowing one cannot control their own fate, that these things can happen without warning and that we're right in the way of these natural disasters.
At least SoCal doesn't have tsunamis.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Friday, December 1, 2017
Around the World Trip (世界一週)
My law school friend recently returned from a year-long around-the-world trip with his wife that left me very envious of his life. He did what most people romanticize about but don't succeed in actually executing: the dream trip of a lifetime, going from one country to the next, experiencing different cultures, getting new stimuli each day to fill in the memory banks, different types of lodging, different types of transportation, different types of food, letting go of all the stress and worldly restraints and just be free. It's why I and many other people watch the Amazing Race (back on air in January for its 30th! That's right 30th! season), to live vicariously through their globetrotting adventures. It's excellent timing: he has a traveling partner, they don't have any kids yet to tie them down, they have the financial resources to do it, and they're still young and with lots of energy.
As one gets older, you realize that certain things that you thought as a kid or teenager that you would one day do will just never materialize. I never explicitly planned to have a year-long trip, but there's always a fantasy in the back of one's mind to just pick up and go wherever you want to go. For MJ and I, we concluded that it would not be ideal for us to go on an around-the-world trip.
1.) Hotel costs would be way too high
2.) Opportunity cost is too high- I'd be missing out on a year's worth of wages (unless I can get some sort of job where I can work remotely from my computer, but that would be dampening the spirit of the trip anyway)
3.) We might get too tired after 2 weeks and need to take a break. Stamina is key: if anyone's ever taken a 2 week trip and then come back home to work, it feels like that first day back that you need a vacation from your vacation.
4.) Nowadays you don't need to go to EVERY corner of the world to experience it......there's videos and live feeds that make people feel like they can be where they are......it's like why go to a live sports game when you can get better camera angles, better high definition, different shots, at home? Sure there's the real experience of it and the smell and the sounds and feeling of gratification of reaching one's destination that's not accounted for, but travel might be yet another victim of technology and the internet boom.
It really comes down to a battle of time vs. money, and partly due to the fact time= money. Can we do all the things we want to do in life (and thought we'd eventually get to when we were younger) without running out of time AND money? (and energy?) It's a tough balance.
Often I regret decisions in life and look back on why I didn't go to a different law school that had a better scholarship offer, or didn't join a sports team, whatever it is. Not going on a world wide trip during college or law school often comes up in my list of regrets. I blame my younger self, but looking back at my 2007 and 2008 comments, who can blame that kid for being stressed out about jobs, getting ahead in life, trying to outdo the competition, etc.? Heck, that kid didn't know what he was going to be doing 10 years later, he was really busy checking on fantasy sports all the time and watching reality TV! The point is I can't really fault my past decision making, only learn from them and make better decisions going forward, and perhaps ditching the rat race and doing something daring and incredible like an around-the-worldtrip (but possibly stupid in hindsight if we run out of money in the future) is the right move before we get even older and 10 years later and look back on my decision making now and blame myself again.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
As one gets older, you realize that certain things that you thought as a kid or teenager that you would one day do will just never materialize. I never explicitly planned to have a year-long trip, but there's always a fantasy in the back of one's mind to just pick up and go wherever you want to go. For MJ and I, we concluded that it would not be ideal for us to go on an around-the-world trip.
1.) Hotel costs would be way too high
2.) Opportunity cost is too high- I'd be missing out on a year's worth of wages (unless I can get some sort of job where I can work remotely from my computer, but that would be dampening the spirit of the trip anyway)
3.) We might get too tired after 2 weeks and need to take a break. Stamina is key: if anyone's ever taken a 2 week trip and then come back home to work, it feels like that first day back that you need a vacation from your vacation.
4.) Nowadays you don't need to go to EVERY corner of the world to experience it......there's videos and live feeds that make people feel like they can be where they are......it's like why go to a live sports game when you can get better camera angles, better high definition, different shots, at home? Sure there's the real experience of it and the smell and the sounds and feeling of gratification of reaching one's destination that's not accounted for, but travel might be yet another victim of technology and the internet boom.
It really comes down to a battle of time vs. money, and partly due to the fact time= money. Can we do all the things we want to do in life (and thought we'd eventually get to when we were younger) without running out of time AND money? (and energy?) It's a tough balance.
Often I regret decisions in life and look back on why I didn't go to a different law school that had a better scholarship offer, or didn't join a sports team, whatever it is. Not going on a world wide trip during college or law school often comes up in my list of regrets. I blame my younger self, but looking back at my 2007 and 2008 comments, who can blame that kid for being stressed out about jobs, getting ahead in life, trying to outdo the competition, etc.? Heck, that kid didn't know what he was going to be doing 10 years later, he was really busy checking on fantasy sports all the time and watching reality TV! The point is I can't really fault my past decision making, only learn from them and make better decisions going forward, and perhaps ditching the rat race and doing something daring and incredible like an around-the-worldtrip (but possibly stupid in hindsight if we run out of money in the future) is the right move before we get even older and 10 years later and look back on my decision making now and blame myself again.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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