Reboot!

It had been a rule to long going back to work whenever I took vacations in the past. This time, it was not the case. Of the three weeks in Mexico, I spent one week at the October meeting of the Mexican Physical Society trying to have some fun doing algebra and physics with my thesis director and trying to understand microscopic optical manipulation with structured light fields with a couple of friends from the bachelor and the doctoral, later on, a half-week at the Institute of Physics of Mexico's National University brought me back to enjoying time toying with cold and thermal atoms in propagation invariant fields, and another half-week writing not-so-dreamy and down-to-earth projects and filling and filing job applications on the verge of deadlines to find a new position for next year.

For the first time in my life, I kept myself away from my current-work during the one week congress meeting, the one week catching up with my former bosses and academy-friends, and the one week family vacation. In particular, that week of family vacations was forbidden to current-work related email. Just me and mom, friends and family. It's a completely new feeling to come back home to Singapore and find some 20+ current-work-related emails to read and answer, 1000+ new articles in my feed read list and a small to do list including some bureaucratic red tape to digest in order to renew my work permit,  re-submit articles and referee work. I like the feeling. 

That time afar from my current-work was a kind or reboot that refreshed my mind. After this reboot, I'm ready to go back to do physics for hire for a while. Majulah!