My first computer was a C-64 that my brother and I used- it was our first introduction to BASIC programming, and every month a new 321-Contact magazine brought new programs to try out… each line of BASIC tediously typed in only to then reach the end and realize that the program was for an Amiga, not a C64, and that the past hour or typing was wasted. Terrible times.

In Seattle there is a wonderful museum created by Paul Allen called the Living Computer Museum. Why is it “living?” Everything works, and everything is interactive- you can play chess against an old mainframe entering in your moves through a typewriter interface, use a C64 similar to one from my childhood, or don a set of VR goggles and experience what may be the future interface of computers. It’s truly a unique and frankly awe inspiring experience- to step back and appreciate the progress computing has made in a single generation is staggering. Cell phones didn’t exist when I was born, yet here I sit typing this with an iWatch on my wrist that has an internet connection my 14-year old self would envy. If you live near Seattle, or are in town visiting, make this a must-visit day trip. Currently they have an 80s exhibit that was so rich with nostalgia it made my heart happy.