Transition Time

After four years I am officially gone from my PhD institution. Yesterday was my last day of 'employment' as a postdoc. It was a long day of off-loading information and finishing up with packing my desk area. As all last days are, it was on the surreal and bittersweet side. I'm ready to leave and looking forward to new things. At the same time, it is always easier to be around things that you know and are comfortable with. Of course, for me, the more often I have to step outside my comfort zone, the better. After going out to eat with my fellow ex-lab-mates, I got a couple more hours of final cleaning and packing in last night. After a short night's sleep I got up at 5:30 and finished getting my stuff out and cleaned the floors behind me. I thought I didn't have a chance of getting everything into my car, but somehow I managed. wow. And, at 8am I left my living place for the last 4 years. Again, surreal. I won't make it to my postdoc city until Monday morning - my first official day there - so I've got the weekend to get used to the idea of leaving. It'll hit me for sure when I get back to my new apartment, and find it stuffed full of packed boxes waiting to be unloaded. I'm not looking forward to that. It'll also hit me when I spend the first time in the new lab...and try to figure out what is going on. The PI is out of town for most of the week. He had said not to worry about coming around for the first few days. I heard from the other postdoc, who had a few suggestions of things I can do, to get familiar with things. Reading protocols sounds like a good place to start, so I'll see if I can get my hands on them to start the week. Well, this was just a rambling thought dump. Here's to the future...