Before The Blink

Culture

Remember Being Bored? The Forgotten Art of Having Nothing to Do

Before the smartphone turned every spare moment into a scroll session, Americans had a whole different relationship with doing nothing. Kids stared at ceilings. Adults memorized cereal boxes. Waiting was just waiting. What happened to all that empty time — and did we lose something when we filled it?

Mar 13, 2026

Travel

31 Cents a Gallon and No GPS: The Golden Age of the American Road Trip Is Gone

In the 1960s, a full tank of gas cost less than a diner lunch, the interstate was brand new, and getting a little lost was part of the plan. Today, road trips still happen — but almost everything about them has changed. Here's what we quietly traded away.

Mar 13, 2026