Purpose

With this new year comes some major life changes for me and the thought of everything I need to do is causing me some serious insomnia. The insomnia leads to major headaches and grogginess that are impeding my functionality. Those who know me know that I am a great sleeper, and am typically very laid-back and (mostly) stress-free. Well, I am currently none of the above. So, I have decided to revisit an effective strategy I have so often used in the past --put my thoughts and all my worries onto "paper" so I can free my mind and actually get some sleep and work done! I also hope that I will keep up with this blog as I pick up my life in Madison, move back to California to start my life as a post-doctoral fellow at UC San Francisco and be back with my boyfriend who has endured 4.5 years of excruciating long distance to be with me. He and I have been waiting a long time for this moment, and hopefully this blog will allow our friends to keep up with us as we begin this significant stage in starting our life together.

So what's been keeping me up at night? In exactly 2 months, I will be defending my Ph.D. dissertation in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. What does this mean? Well, I have to finish up some experiments, write a ~200 page book that showcases my research the last 4.5 years (called a thesis), and defend my scientific results to my department and 5 faculty committee members who will ultimately decide if I get to have my degree. On top of all that, I am preparing to move half-way across the country to San Francisco to beginning the next stage of my professional career --a post-doctoral position in a developmental biology lab at the University of California - San Francisco where I will use my biochemistry training and "expertise" to research translation regulation in mammals. This is a huge transition from my current research on homologous DNA repair in bacteria. With such a dramatic shift comes a steep learning curve, resilience and persistence --all of which I must be ready for. In the meantime, I must also find someone to take over my lease here in Madison, find a new place to live in San Francisco, and figure out whether I want to ship all my belongings here to SF, or sell/give away everything and buy all new stuff when I am in SF...and how am I supposed to afford any of the above??

And what's with all these wrinkles and enormous pores on my face, and saggy eye lids? I know I am getting older, but geez, did the symptoms have to come so quickly? This Ph.D. business has aged me quite a bit, and I don't like it. Time to up the self-maintenance...but only after the defense. Priorities.

Oh, and did I mention that my eczema is out of control? I bought some concealer to hide the massive bags under my eyes ...my eyes are now weighed down by red eczemic bags.

With all the changes comes excitement of a new beginning. Can't wait to start this new chapter of my life.