3 years, or when enough is truly enough

Yesterday was a milestone of sorts.  Here is what I wrote:

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Today is a funny kind of anniversary, bittersweet and strange.

A little over three years ago, I went to Sierra Leone and came back with malaria-like symptoms.

Exactly three years ago -- March 19th, 2012 -- I was nearly paralyzed by an unknown illness.  And it's been a long road since then.

In the beginning, I played the "what if" game.  What if I hadn't gone to West Africa?  What if I hadn't gotten sick?  What if I hadn't eaten that burrito (the mundane dinner I had that "fateful" night)?  What if I had just finished my thesis when I was supposed to instead of extending it one semester more?

Rounding up with a slice of pi(e)

Apple pie from Petsi Pies, true to the spirit of the day.

For some people, yesterday was simply Saturday, March 14th, the year 2015.

Here at MIT, where mathematical constants play a part in most people's everyday business, it was

Super Pi (π) Day

Day: 3.14.15

Time: 9:26:53

the first day in my generation's lifetime when we would celebrate ten digits of Pi, twice in a single day (if you count AM and PM).

The next one won't be for another 100 years, so I was among the many on campus and in the Boston area who made sure to celebrate well and indulge in pie in all forms -- from traditional fruit-filled pies to custardy cream ones to pizza pies and even shepherd's pie served in the dining hall (arguably not qualified for Pi Day given its non-round shape, but we're not picky around here).