On a dark and cold December morning, my family departed our house at precisely 6:17 AM for the 52 mile drive to JFK Airport. I was 11 years old, and was about to leave for a much anticipated trip to Puerto Rico over winter break. Little did I know that I would have a transforming experience before even landing on the island. As we waited in line for security, I found myself staring at the flight status monitor, memorizing all of the flights and their departure gates. Some kind of special connection was made with that hypnotic flight information screen! As I walked the tropical beach sand, I uttered phrases such as, “Flight 746 to Orlando now boarding at Gate 24,” and “This is the final boarding call for Flight 62 to Boston.” Instead of dreading the flight home, I was ecstatic to return to the airport to see the status on that evening’s departures. This was the pivotal moment when my affinity for keeping track of time, directions, and universal order in general crystallized in my mind. …show more content…
However, I wasn’t just mesmerized by schedules. Any set of numbers or information excited me. Having grown up in Brooklyn, I memorized the entire New York City subway system, and used to draw the map with bath crayons on the tub walls - every line and most of the stops. I’m also affectionately known by friends and family as "the human GPS,” since I knew all of my county’s roads, highways, and exit numbers by the age of 6. I would blow the mind of no matter who was driving me, by calling out directions from the back seat. They would never get lost as long as I was along for the