I'm missing this year's LessOnline, and I'm really sad about that.
I can't remember any other particular time in my adult life that so many different events, all of which I really want to go to, are coinciding in the same weekend, one of them (the regularly held math conference that I'm attending) being unfortunately atypical in its choice of particular week of the summer academic season to take place in. Like five of these events are completely mutually exclusive, three of them major: the math conference, LessOnline, and the wedding of some friends. There are three other smaller ones, one of which I may possibly be able to briefly attend tonight if there's no big conference event in the evening.
Having too many great things to choose from is a good problem to have, I guess, but why do five or six of them have to coincide in the same weekend?
Anyway, for professional reasons the top priority really has to be this math conference, so that's the primary reason I'm not attending LessOnline. (It also makes a lot more financial sense to attend the math conference, which is easy driving distance from my home, than a rationalist conference on the other side of the country, despite current gas prices. Given that I'll be going through both July and August in a "between jobs" status without a paycheck and dealing with a mild-to-moderately expensive move, it does feel more fiscally responsible somehow.)
By this time next year, I'll actually be living at a slightly easier distance from California, and I hope to be able to properly prioritize LessOnline then. In the meantime, know (as I am also telling my friends who are getting married tomorrow) that I'll be there in spirit, that I'm sorry not to be able to hang out with you this weekend @rendakuenthusiast, @eightyonekilograms, @tchtchtchtchtch [you're not on here anymore so may never read this?], @drethelin, @etirabys [non-mutuals and I don't know if these last two tags are working?], and possibly others, that I hope it's a fulfilling and enlightening and enjoyable time, and that I hope to see you at LessOnline 2027!
