Yes, I am a time traveler.

Picking a slice of history wasn’t easy, but a front row seat to the beginning of the technological age was irresistible.  I’m seeing personal computers, video, entertainment and communications evolve from clunky prototypes  into integrated, immersive forms. I’m watching entertainment and technology empires grow – like the spread of Disney from a few animated flicks and an amusement park to a multi-dimensional global enterprise.  And the spread of Google from a simple search engine to … what would you even call it today?

My present time family and friends may scoff – they’ve known me for years.  Exactly when did I transport to the present time?   Just before birth, of course.  Top notch time travel isn’t teleportation.  I get to experience an authentic lifetime of my chosen time period – the good, the bad, the ugly, and the blooming amazing experience of being alive right now. This is no teleport!  Teleportation is a two block ride on a rush-hour bus.  I’m on the round-the-world luxury cruise!  Similar price difference too, when you think about it.

I suppose at some point the teleportation option will available for time tours. Some folks might want simultaneous access to their present time persona and their home time persona, but think of all the details!  The traveler would have to be prepared with the period and local language nuances, the physical details of body and clothing, an appropriately detailed life story, complete with family, friends, and acquaintances.  That’s a boatload of administrivia just to skip a few years of childhood.  I’d rather get a fully immersive experience, without worrying about glitches just because the Pimsleur wasn’t quite the right dialect, or somebody at the clothiers got the date wrong.  Mistakes do happen.  Still.

I’m looking forward to being back in home time.  A bunch of my friends are time-travelling, and we’re going to have a time party. We’ll upload our favorite memories from our trips, add some clever commentary and share them with each other.  Kind of like a group chat / scrapbook / MySpace / YouTube thing – you get the idea.   And that’s the cool thing! You do get the idea!

Best. Trip.  Ever.