Studying under the stars

As I'm mentioned, I've had a lot of homework as I was finishing up my capstone project. I usually study in the basement, but with the nice weather I decided to take my studying outside. For my birthday, I got a Yeti 400 from Goal Zero, an impressive unit designed to run mid-sized electronics (laptops, small TVs, CPAP machines, etc.) and which can be charged from solar panels. My father introduced us to Goal Zero last Christmas (and is my supplier) and we've been very pleased with their stuff.

Anyway, there were a couple of nights that I studied on the deck with the yeti powering my set up (laptop, phone, and a small light or two) and it was kind of nice to change things up a bit. However, for my capstone I couldn't study in just a camp chair, I needed more room to lay stuff out. So, twice last week I pulled a folding table and chair out into the back yard and set up underneath our pear tree. a couple of lights hung from the branches and the laptop whirring contentedly and I was good to go. Both nights the weather was fantastic and only the second night had any bugs, but those were easy to deal with. When I was done, I turned the lights off and looked up at the stars. 

I remember giving my dad a bit of a hard time when he went to a scout camp and took his laptop with him. He was one of the organizers and he would have access to a generator, but I still gave him grief. Camping is about getting away from technology. However, the fact that I now have the means to power personal and professional electronics does change my view a bit. I'm looking forward to using electric lights I can recharge during the day in place of propane to play games at night. If I have an assignment due, I can still work on it if I need to. If there is an emergency I can charge my phone or personal radios. Even when not camping, we use our Yetis (we have a 150 and a 400) around the house to power supplement lighting, or the laptop. In an emergency we have light and power, albeit limited. Technology is pretty amazing and I'm thankful for the opportunity to study under the stars.