Balancing the analogue and digital

I do have to say that this came across at a great time, as I have been trying to find a balance between my digital and analog note-keeping. And the reason why paper, well I guess I couldn’t have said better, actually I didn’t quite have a clear reason in my head until I read this,

Paper forces me to slow down, as I simply can’t write as quickly as I can type (or speak, if I’m dictating). This gives me space to think and a pause to consider my words and what I’m actually writing down. And with zero distractions or notifications, it allows me to focus on one thing at a time.

Thank you for sharing, @TheMacPsych, at richardmackinnon.blog

The only problem with not having been working out for “so long” and somewhat picking back where I’ve left off is that now my arm, especially close to my elbow, is angry at me. It is hard to tight-grip and lift heavy things, for now. This means I need to be more mindful with today’s workout.

Also, lots of stretching and massaging.

This kind of Sucks!

I should have known better!

I have not been using my 20L Peak Design Everyday Backpack and it has been fantastic.

half the room gasps in Spanish

I know, I have been wearing and swearing by this backpack ever since I have been at my current job, which is a little over 4 years now. In fact, I haven’t shopped around for another backpack ever since. That and I don’t want to make spending over 250 USD for a backpack a habit.

Sometime last year, in one of my Stitchfix box deliveries, I randomly received a backpack, THE NORTH FACE Vault Everyday Laptop Backpack and it is the most boring uncharacteristic, most basic backpack that you can possible imagine. Loved the color, though. Ever since I got it it sort of became my gym bag. We would occasionally use it to carry the iPads, headphones, and other stuff for the girls when going out and about, essentially a diaperless bag.

On my most recent trip to Yuma, I took my boring backpack instead of my everyday one. It was a super-short trip so I took very little with me. And I gotta say, it was a delight…

Let me explain. The Everyday Backpack is great, it’s got enough space for all my shit plus my camera. This backpack, however, is the first generation, it is so rigid and tough, plus, with everything I put in it, it becomes heavy and not very comfortable to carry around, at least for me. That said, I did not carry my camera with me although I could have possibly been able to.

Now I am in the market for a backpack, I think, perhaps not exactly a 250 plus USD one but something simple. What will happen to the Everyday one? I don’t know, perhaps It’ll get used in a much different way, I haven’t even been carrying it to work since. I have just been carrying my essentials, a notebook, a laptop, a pen, and a few accessories or cables and that is it. I think I need to rethink my EDC system, too.

So, here we are, the state of the backpack at the end of 2023, ish.