Now, a few years out of post-doc life, still living in post-doc city working away with science in a newish format (more paper work adhering to FDA regulations, less writing and publishing papers). I’m more surprised by the notion that I still live in post-doc city (PDC) since this marks the longest time I have ever stayed in one city since I moved away from home at age 19… My university experience was broken up between undergrad and grad school, going away to another far away country and when coming back having a “natural” break with old undergraduate friends and finding new normal as a graduate student.
The most surprising realization after noting the 6 year anniversary of the blog? Living here in PDC for six years?! Never would have thought it. Didn’t plan it. Didn’t really want it. Having this blog as the longest one address, apart from my old email address from 1996, since I’ve moved several times these six years… and by far the longest I have ‘resided’ anywhere (my IRL longest experience in a house/apartment is 2 years). When you think about all that, maybe it isn’t too strange that I am slightly surprised about the course of my life?
But I wanted to rant about the blog today. As I said, when I started it was a turbulent time. Lots of venting about the harsh climate as a post-doc (those lab meetings…) and the more turbulent and confusing private life (alone in a faraway country), and even then a little trickle of sports now and then. The more years added on the blogging experience, the less obviously identifiable people from the world of science (no more blatant lab ventings) and more generic things. Maybe more venting emo posts about life and the meaning of friendship etc… in times when the loneliness and confusion were running high. I’ve erased some of the more pathetic ones, it’s like re-reading your journal from teen years, no one should really do that, and tried to keep in line with the more sciency/politics/world rants.
I wonder where I will go now. I miss writing these more thought out posts, with a point in them. And I have started to second guess the meaning/enjoyment of the posts… are they read? Funny, in the beginning I didn’t care that much. It was more like sitting down in a bar, having a drink and opening your heart out for any stranger who was unfortunate enough to sit next by listening… and then some days getting a comment with some nice words (or sometimes a more ‘get a grip and get over it’ type of sentiment) which still meant that I wasn’t alone in the whole world… yes, emotions and I go way back ;)
I’m thinking about doing a little chore for the next couple of weeks/months, setting up a schedule to write more regularly and maybe even with a little more intent to be interesting/relevant? I’ll mull it over on this long weekend as we have here in the USA, Labor Day weekend and I would be happy to see what you think, in the kind of comments and feedback from the fold....
Happy long weekend (soon!).
7 comments:
Happy labor day weekend!
I think everyone goes through these times with their blog. Everyone evolves and grows, and it's tough to know how to bring the blog with you sometimes.
Right now, I'm not into blogging much...mostly because I *want* to blog about work, but I can't because I have co-workers who now read the blog. It's a bit frustrating to have topics limited...and now I feel like all I can blog about is home life OR only the good/non-controversial parts of work.
Anyway, you'll figure it out, and the blog will grow with you, or it won't, and either is okay :D
Maria> Thanks! I'm looking forward to it a lot (road trip!! :D)
ALyssa> You're a wise woman! I don't have coworkers reading the blog (that I know of) but I do know that I'm not as anonymous as i once thought ^^ I'll see where this grows in other words.
well, you know I'm in the same boat ...! And it's interesting you mention journal from the teens: every time I'm in Amsterdam I re-read some journals and it invariably turns out to be a really bad idea. I either get terribly nostalgic for carefree early twenties days, or I hate myself for being the irrational silly teen.
What I struggle most with at the moment is that all parental units read my blog, and things didn't really run smoothly when I was over there. Also, people expect to be updated about my life regularly through the blog, and don't send as much emails or ring up. Because they know everything already. And I couldn't possibly care about their boring lifes, according to them. So I felt I was constantly writing blogs, and then calling people up at insane times to ask how they were doing. And the surprise every time when it turned out that I also did things NOT mentioned on the blog.
Anyway, this is about your blog... I'm happy to read and comment! But it's up to you. I feel the whole scheduling thing wouldn't really work, it's the spontaneous posts that are best I think, but that's just me.
Enjoy your long weekend! We have just a normal weekend, but we go skiing!!!
Congratulations on your blogiversary. As a fellow expat I enjoy your blog, so I'll continue reading, but I totally get if you change it to something else or decide to take a break or whatever.
I've stopped for a while and closed my blog while I ponder what to do - since moving to a new country and a new job I'm not sure how the blog would be taken if it becomes known that I have it, so I still haven't decided what to do about it...
Anyway, so this doesn't just become about me, happy blogiversary once again and enjoy your long weekend!
Happy blogiversary!
I've had a very slow blog year myself, what with the new job and visitors and other distractions. But that's OK - I've been through so many peaks and troughs of activity, so many changes in the kinds of posts I write, that I know it'll all muddle through somehow.
I'll keep reading as long as you keep writing! Even if you stop I'll keep your RSS feed in my reader, 'cos I'm creepy like that :)
Nina> When I wrote scheduling I thought more in regards to "posting on day such and such", since that might help me actually doing it? Then again, the spontaneous ones are the fun ones to write.... And i'm envious of the skiing. Very.
Pika> I totally understand the temporary stopping... it's hard what to do when someone finds out - if you vent too much etc. I think that's part of why I don't write as much anymore since I self-censour a little more nowadays.
Cath> but you're posting all the time :) and thanks for being creepy... I think I'll keep it up, I need to writing vent about science/jobs/life I just think I need more structure to avoid the whole "whining emo stuff" ;)
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