Before The Blink

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

Finance

One Paycheck, One House, Three Kids: How the Working-Class Dream Quietly Became Unaffordable

In 1962, a factory worker with a union card and a high school diploma could buy a house, raise a family, and retire with a pension. Today, two college-educated incomes often aren't enough to replicate that same life. The numbers tell a story most people feel but rarely see laid out side by side.

Mar 13, 2026

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