On Transitions
I was listening to this week’s episode of This American Life, on the topic of Road-trips (a topic after my own heart), and it brought me to some thoughts that I’ve been having for a while, but could not exactly verbalize until hearing what some of the contributors to this week’s show had to say. All of the whirlwind changes I’ve been having the last few months really put me front and center into processes of transition that paralleled some of the most important transitions I have ever made in my life.
Transitioning to DC has been relatively successful for me so far. I started working for a new company, have a new place to live and a whole new city and surroundings to explore. I am very impressed with DC thus far. It has a sense of pride all its own and a character that I cannot yet describe but can certainly identify.
I think transitions are interesting because they include a sense of reflecting on the past and hopefulness for the future. Bringing in the connection to This American Life, one of the contributors this week mentioned that he felt like taking road-trips presented an opportunity for change and growth and epiphanies, etc. And Ira Glass responded by capturing in a few words what road-trips, and in a larger context transitions, encompass -
“ . . . [w]hat a road trip stands for is hope, hope, that somewhere, anywhere is better than here. Somewhere on the road I’ll turn into the person I want to be, I could to be, the person I am.”
I was on a run while listening to this, and I found myself boosted with a sense of newfound energy because what he had just said captured exactly what I have been feeling recently. I think this transition to DC, to a new company and to a new chapter in my life is another chance for me to develop the person I will be in the future. That may sound really obvious, but I find it to be an important thing to take into consideration at the beginning of a new endeavor, and to remind myself of throughout the endeavor.
I have also been using the Metro system a lot, to commute to work, to make my way around the city and because I love public transportation on its own merit. While on the metro I have been consuming a lot of great media, so I think I’d like to share some of the highlights in case any readers are interested. Here are a few top picks from this last week –
This American Life – Road Trips
Radiolab – Famous Tumors and Deception
Starley Kine’s Moth Podcast appearance
The Tallest Man on Earth’s The Wild Hunt
I'll probably start making a habit of putting up some highlights of what I've been listening to throughout this summer. A couple of hours a day on the Metro can really make great time for listening, absorbing and thinking.
