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Showing posts from September, 2016

Turning 30

I am turning 30 today. I thought I didn't really care about that number. It didn't matter, it's just a number I told myself, same as 29, or 28. But as it turns out, I am a little sad. I am sad that I will no longer be in my 20s, the decade I considered undeniably "young". This is also a time that is making me introspect about what I am yet to do, yet to learn and yet to achieve. It is silly really, but I think all the years of brainwashing that society and movies drill into you have had an effect on me. I thought I was immune to this, but apparently I am not.  But, if you look at it another way, I needn't be sad at all. In fact, I should be happy that I am still young and have seen a little bit of life and therefore am wiser. So today, I want to remind myself of all the good things in my life and also of all that I have achieved so far, the goals I had set that have been completed, or are at least on their way to completion.  I am an independent wor

Changing track with a new postdoc position - a personal account

This post was first published here:  http://www.sciwri.club/archives/1311 Postdoc life is tough. It is the life of a nomad, where you are forced to change base every couple of years, sometimes every year. Add to it further considerations of visas and work permits (because like others before you, you too want to go abroad, mostly to Europe or US, no less!) and you have a plethora of concerns about your next job. In such a scenario, it always makes sense to plan ahead, to know at least 6-8 months in advance if your contract is going to get extended, if your PI has enough funding and if you do want to stay on or move to another place. I faced similar dilemmas last year when I knew my term at Hopkins would end in 2016. I still had about a year to plan and prepare for my next move. And so, the first step I took was to register for a small conference where most of the speakers were those whose work interested me. This, I thought, would give me a good opportunity to gather informati