World travel: Spain’s east coast – part 5
By: Alex Elkjær Vasegaard
Tags: Planning Ahead, Work Life Balance, Traveling, Spain, Travel

When being completely relaxed and putting your work at a distance — the analogy of getting your head out of the waters is pretty fitting. I am able to visualise my work and see the progress I am making from above. Being able to move around and possibly attack it from another direction. Even to rejoice in something else if I wanted to. Being in the highly flexible situation that I am in, I could choose to focus on something completely different, so it is liberating actually to want to continue to dive into that same spot. Despite having many other options. Taking a good long breath at the top of the waters. Rethinking my actions, being at peace with my decisions. Recharging and planning what to charge.

If you give yourself 3 months to clean your room, it’ll take 3 months. But if you give your self one hour. It’ll take one hour. – Elon Musk

One should, of course, never compare themself with others, and especially not the likes of Elon Musk, as he simply operates differently. With a productivity level that would burn out anyone in a matter of days. BUT setting long term plans that probably are too optimistic is a formidable way to push yourself. I try to plan every day as realistic as possible, making plans that I know I can overcome – Allowing every day to feel like a success. But my long term plans are always way too optimistic. That way, I know I am pushing myself. And whenever I accomplished something, it’ll be a great achievement and something I am truly proud of rather than something that was expected of me. It is probably not sustainable for my entire life, but while I’m young and I have the energy, it is the way to go for me.

Having my head over the waters, I have readjusted my goals, and I have chosen to share them. Not only to be open but also to motivate me, push through, and actually (maybe) finish them. Within September, I would like to:

Have submitted the paper on fixed station UAV-assisted search and rescue systems and multi-criteria decision making

Having a finished draft for the MCDM method for choosing bus stop locations.

Readjusted me to the new workplace in Munich

Published at least three stories in medium about AI or wrappers on the experiences I make when travelling

Yeah. I know only work-related goals... I always make sure also to make goals about my health, family or friends. Like improving my handstand, and being more present with friends, in my case, video calling a friend during the week, or talking more with xx. The ones I make, I won’t share, though. They are only for me and not really goal-oriented but more focused on character development or improvements of mine.

In some sense, like the buildings of Benidorm are all skyscrapers reaching for the sky, the goals of the city are not to have high buildings but to have a city that accommodates tourists and their needs. The tall buildings are a means to the actual goal, not the actual goal itself. In the same way, setting high goals is a means to improving your character and making sure you’re on the right path.

Benidorm has been nice. Sandy beaches, warm weather. Fancy(ish) hotel right in the centre of Oldtown. Nice shops. Great food. Completely relaxed. Sophia and I even had a day in the hotel room where we just relaxed, even watched a movie. In many ways, this vacation wasn’t about the vacation but rather the chance of being together. Just spending time together, as we the last and next couple of months haven’t and aren’t. It’s been nice not to have all these things/tourist attractions to visit. But just being together has truly been the intention. She is a strong girlfriend — her being okay with us not being physically together. She has her mind on her master thesis, so she at least has something to focus her energy on. Distracting her from me missing. That’s at least what I tell myself when I feel bad about leaving. Also, it’s only for the remainder of this year. And She will visit me throughout the period. AND she’ll accompany me next year for a 4-month trip.

Picture from Benidorm beach, where you can vaguely see the cross. Photo by me.

Yesterday I went to see an art exhibition celebrating Picasso’s Guernica finally being on Spanish soil again after being around the world and located at the MOMA in New York for a longer period. Of course, the museum wasn’t open for guests, despite a big sign stating that it was open. Apparently, the sign meant when the building was “open”. That is when you were able to book private tours. I had to wait 50 minutes until I could enter. Seriously. Outside I saw a YouTube video of a tour of the museum. I guess that experience would’ve been almost the same as me being there. I will never understand why to make things so convoluted. Maybe that is just the crux of the journey, understanding that many places still need optimisation and improvements—even obvious ways of just making logical signs of the opening hours. The moral of the Guernica is about anti-war — but right there and then, I wanted to go to war towards these types of apparent stupidities.