Back in Utah

Alas, my sabbatical is over. [sniff] I recently drove back to Utah, which was a 2-day trek with a midpoint in Las Vegas. I would prefer to forget the first leg of the journey, which was bumper-to-bumper traffic for the first 3-4 hours. I hate to brag, but it takes an undeniable talent, and an astonishing level of stupidity, to unintentionally yet willingly embark on a road trip that requires traveling across the entire width of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area at exactly the beginning of rush hour. Yes, that's right, I started my journey from the west side of Los Angeles at 4pm on a Friday. It doesn't get any dumber than that. ;)

However the second leg of the journey was a wonderful drive. Once you leave the brown and desolate land known as Nevada, the rest of the scenery through Arizona and southern Utah is gorgeous. Even along the highway, you drive alongside Joshua trees, rock formations, brilliant red cliffs, and finally the majestic Rocky Mountains.

My sabbatical was outstanding. The work environment and people at ISI were terrific. And I had a blast exploring the LA area and coastline. When I arrived back in Utah, I felt like I was returning from a year-long vacation. Indeed, my apartment in Marina del Rey always felt like a hotel to me. So I am very sad that my sabbatical is over. [sniff] But there is something nice about coming home.

I had quite a few adventures in California that I have not yet blogged about because things got crazy busy toward the end. So this blog will remain active for a while longer until I clear out my backlog of stories and photos. Stay tuned...