I’ve been pretty nuts in the past two months. With the load of work spiking very suddenly in April in May, combined with working late and long hours, I felt pretty overwhelmed. This happens from time to time; it’s never pretty, and it takes its toll.
However, I knew that I might get to reset myself this past week. After the dark matter symposium, Jodi and I headed north to Soudan Minnesota. A twelve-hour drive from Fermilab, this is the location of Jodi’s experiment. I didn’t come here to vacation, and I didn’t come here to goof off. I came here to find peace, and quiet. I came here to rest. And I came here to work my friggin ass off.
Life at SLAC is fine. I have no real complaints. But sitting in a windowless office all day long, without any members of my own research group around, spending a lot of time answering little questions from a dozen people who knock on my door – when is a postdoc to work? This was my week. This was my week to do the research I wanted to do. I analyzed data, I wrote software, I wrote the document detailing the work I do with an MIT student. This was a brilliant week.
The solace I find here in the open spaces of the Midwest is unparalleled. The neighborhoods are quiet – no gardeners banging tools against stones at 8 in the morning, no authorities to pacify, no meetings to attend (except virtually). I am also right between the two most important timezones: MIT and SLAC. I can attend all my early CA meetings at a civilized hour, and keep up with my MIT colleagues without a 3-hour time difference. It’s great.
I got a boatload done. It makes me think that all this work might just make it to a summer conference. The best part? I don’t feel tired or stressed. I worked all day, grabbed dinner with Jodi when she returned from the mine, and went to bed by 9 or 10. I was up between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning, listened to podcasts, and worked my friggin ass off.
