Back to Ithaca

It takes a little getting used to to be back, even I was away just for three months.

Not that Ithaca is not nice. Actually, Ithaca is such a beautiful place in summer. The gorges, falls, trees, wild flowers and of course, Cayuga lake. The road trip across CA was amazing. Stanford was splendid with its vast campus, Palm drive and Mediterranean style buildings. Muir woods were breathtaking. But talking about natural beauty, they still fall a bit short of the Finger Lakes area and Cornell.

Everything looks a bit surrealistic, though. The meadow and trees near my apartment are unattended and quiet all day. There are no high ways which in CA are only a quarter mile away from my door, there is no crowd that jam all the high ways in peak hours even some have 5 lanes, there are clouds and thunders in the afternoon instead of endless blue sky, and I see baby deer instead of more IT companies than I can name on my way to the office. This change of environmental setting, more importantly change of pace, makes Bay Area and Ithaca two different worlds.

It's easy to be active, excited and alerted in CA, with so much going on and so many geeks around. And then there is the laid back peace of mind in Ithaca, relaxed and contended for its little window to the outside. I am going to school in a place more for vacation, and spent my summer 'vacation' time deep down in the heart of silicon valley.

Now, sitting again in my office with a nice view of Ithaca downtown and west hills, I want to keep that valley rhythm which is still beating inside me. Viewing grad school from a slightly altered angle and more background, I think I am ready for a busy-than-ever semester.