Experiencing life as a writer

Have you noticed that since you've been serious as a writer, you experience things differently than you did before?  Amren Ortega wrote about this here on the OA blog, about how living abroad taught her about writing fantasy.

My family took the train to the beach this past weekend.

We try to go 1-2x each summer.  Since I've been writing my novel, the things I remember have become more detailed.  This year I noticed little details about the train [shiny wheels, several frayed seats],

the sound the bathroom door made when it clicked shut and a different click when the lock was turned, all the little squeaks and groans when the train was moving, and I eavesdropped on conversations more than I did before.  One man was unpleasantly judgmental about everyone who walked by him.  Ugh.

From the beach [in addition to watching my own family play], I remember specific swimsuits, a mother with tattoos who carried her nervous toddler into the water, a large black man [must have been over 6 feet tall and more than 250 pounds] holding the hand of his 3yo son as he jumped into the waves, and a cute pug.

What types of details have you noticed since you've been writing that you wouldn't have noticed before?