For the first time since I began working, way back in 1988, I have quit a job without much idea of what I plan to do next. “Kidding apart, what do you really plan to do sri?” was the question one of my favorite engineers, posed to me. Obviously my earlier message that I might do some writing and possibly publishing was not serious enough. Another colleague, was more sensitive and subtler in his approach when he stated, “Sure we all have our dreams, yours maybe to write or publish, but what do you really plan to do?” So note to all of you out there who plan to make career changes, regardless of how vague or opaque your plans, it appears the world only wants to hear definitive things. I am still working on mine.

In this new life of mine, I have already achieved a first – a road trip with the family (to Mysore) without my laptop. Even on our last vacation (to Kumarakom, Kerala) I convinced myself (and the family) that I’d use the laptop only for journal writing and not for checking mails or doing work! I’m happy to report that not only did I survive, but I did not miss the luggable nor display any overt withdrawal symptoms. In an aside, actually got to read several essays from Stephen J Gould’s “An Urchin in the Storm” – had to read several of the reviews multiple times, but that’s fodder for another post.