Freaky Deaky

I flew home with my travel twin. We have the same laptop, bought the same magazine, we talked just enough about our duties in the exit row, then we came to realize that we had both selected these seats for the same exact reason. While he is a dark haired handsome man of Italian lineage and twenty years my elder, I firmly believe that he is my fraternal travel twin.

This morning I got to meet Steven Levitt after watching him speak. He was fun and enlightening, like his book, but came across as goofy kid dressed like an adult. Just how I feel at times.

A few words stuck with me from his discussion all day. First, that you can convince yourself that you really know more than you do in life. Conversely, I’ll assume that you can talk yourself out of being as smart as you can be. Second, his father is a world famous research doctor; but he is only world famous because he picked the one area of medical research that no one else would explore - gastrointestinal discharge. He explained how GQ named his father as the “King of Farts” in the eighties. Steven then went on to explain that this was the impetuous of his research. His math skills are awful (three declinations behind his peers is what he specifically said) but he sought out interesting questions that had not been explored previously.

My mental state has been a rollercoaster of confidence over the last two weeks. At time I am a leading expert in the industry, and at other times I am humbled by the conversation I am trying to keep up with.

I have been encouraged by my good friend Kim to consider things more carefully. That this is the opportunity to move in the direction I have always wanted to go in.

I have been encouraged by my good friend Betsy to take cod liver oil daily. It moderates your mood and increases circulation and brain activity.

I wonder what my travel twin would do?