An aside

Two weeks ago I moved to Vancouver, and like most who move anywhere but back home, I felt out of sorts, not myself, and light in the wallet. It's been hard not to carry that feeling into work each day. I'm enjoying the research projects I've got lined up here at the University of British Columbia, but I haven't been able to "lose myself" in them yet. I'm held back by baser matters.

Biking now, for instance, I see the savings whereas before I just enjoyed the ride: savings for my pocketbook (cheaper than riding the bus, certainly cheaper than owning, insuring, and gassing a car here) and savings for the environment. (Vancouver's greener than anyplace I've ever been -- at UBC you're responsible for emptying your own office trash.) Another upswing is that I'm healthier than I've ever been. Putting in at least eight miles on the bike everyday, I've got steel for muscles in my legs. With my habit of using the hardest gear I can take, I figure I'm burning at least 500 calories a day during my commute.

I'm also watching what I eat closely, not just for the nutritional benefit but because it's cheaper too. I'll typically have granola and soy milk in the morning then zap some oatmeal and top it with beans for lunch. Dinner's usually something along those lines too. I'm trying to eat for less than $5 a day, and in the process I've become a granarian. I've made some other changes as well: Instead of coffee, tea. Instead of meat, legumes. You get the idea.

There's a cold, hard calculus to my life that wasn't there before. But I guess that's part of becoming an adult -- here I am at 31 -- taking a stark look at your life sometimes so you can forget about it at other times.