My Millennium Commentary

Written by J. Oliver Schak, an aging millennial. Inspired by diaryofanoldmillennial.com.

March 2022

The one I went to SXSW and started to miss work life, a little.

Being back from Singapore, I jaunted down to Austin, Texas for SXSW and then mozied over to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a pitstop on Route 66. There’s tons of photos—so I’ll write less textual babbling than usual. I promise!

Q & A after a screening of narrative shorts.

But let’s first cover 3 broad impressions from these travels. #1: as cool and enlightening as SXSW was, I couldn’t shake this sense that the spirit of the festival felt slightly stale. Everything was hip — in a pre-pandemic, 10-years-ago-sort-of-way. Like forty-year-olds riding electric scooters didn’t come off as all that trendy. And the festival was hella corporate too, which added to the feeling of outdatedness.

#2: somewhat in contradiction to #1, I totally nerded out on all of the film screenings, music shows, and tech talks. I couldn’t resist the intellectual stimulation of the interviews and panels, especially the ones that came fast and furious with futuristic predictions. Crypto is a Ponzi scheme, but keep your eyes peeled the Industry 4.0 and quantum computing revolutions. They are coming, soon!

All of this techno shop talk made me miss work — if only a little bit. But I think I still need more time to wipe the slate clean. The moment I’ll be ready for my return is when I’m aware of the present, without dwelling on past could-ofs/should-ofs or future what-ifs. I know in my heart that I’m not there yet.

#3: Albuquerque is a hidden gem. This city has its own distinct food, art, and culture that melds together Indigenous, Mexican, and Anglo traditions. The surroundings offer big blue skies, with vast landscapes, and telephone poles that look like they are out of Road Runner. The people have this low-key, almost midwest sensibility. Yes, this was my kind of town!

Now for share and tell time. Here’s the promised pictures!

Here are pictures of Austin landmarks above. Did you know the previous Capitol building burned down in the 1880s?

The Little Quirks (pictured upper left) was one of the big draws for me at SXSW, as they are my favorite Australian folk band. Check them out on YouTube! Michele Zauner was a headliner (pictured upper right and bottom). She’s the lead singer for the indy rock band Japanese Breakfast (2 Grammy nominations in 2022) and she published the NYT bestseller Crying in H Mart, about her half-Korean identity and relationship with her dying mom. Impressive stuff.

The picture on the left is courtesy of Justina and Micha from Beer For Breakfast, a British-Lithuanian traveling vlogging duo. It was hard to tell if they were more travelers or social media entertainers, but they were loads of fun. SXSW showed me how the boundary between creatives and consumers has blurred considerably.

Here are the big blue skies of Albuquerque.

Many New Mexican artists create pieces inspired by their Indigenous culture and spiritual identity. Quirky sci fi themes appear in many works as well. The local artist gallery at the National Hispanic Cultural Center is a must-see attraction.

Technology and sci fi feature prominently in New Mexico. My visit to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History was a high point, as was stopping by the Bell West telephone museum.

I found the Albuquerque botanical garden to be serenely pleasing.

You should be sure to bring a full appetite to Austin and Albuquerque. I still crave the Pueblo food in Albuquerque — I had rice, beans, and tacos about every day. Oh, and the Vietnamese and Middle Eastern food is legit in Albuquerque too.

Here’s pictures from my first weekend back in the East Bay. I took a tour of Codornices Creek, and its restored flood plane, to learn about the precarity our water sources, and what we can do maintain and renew these vital habitats. You can see it was a perfect day to bathe in the beauty of California.

What’s next? I’m spending much of April in my hometown of Minneapolis. Expect an update soon!

J. Oliver Schak

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