Being away these past couple days has made me realize that I could do with a vacation. Not that going to SF was a vacation by any means, but it was 3 days without a computer, where the little time I actually had to go on the internet was spent checking, and not being able to comfortably reply to, emails on the tiny screen of my phone. Which was no fun. So I didn't do it very often. And I felt very liberated.
I came out of SF very exhausted. It's no fun (well, a little exciting, but you can't really call it "fun") having to wake up before some of your colleagues go to sleep to make flights, having to be 110% alert in a time zone that is not your own, and having to ask questions on topics you've only peripherally encountered and answer questions you haven't ever really thought about. It was a great experience, though, and now that I've recuperated a little, I can say that I've learned a lot from the multiple-interview day and have gotten to know some great people.
In addition, the accommodations were fantastic. We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake hotel, complete with a man dressed as Drake himself tagging our luggage to be brought up to our rooms and a giant red statue of the honorary knight/pirate in the lobby flanked by various colored liqueurs. The style seemed pretty Elizabethan with a modern twist and I rather enjoyed the details.
For the most part, I've come out of my trip eager to learn more science and excited for graduate school wherever I go; I just wish I would have gotten more time to explore the city. I think San Francisco is a really cool city and I've never spent enough time there to really be satisfied. I'm still finding out new things about Los Angeles, even though I've lived there for most of my life, and I know there will always be things to explore, but I feel like most every time I go to SF, I'm only there for a few days, most of which is tied up in whatever activity brought me there in the first place. SF is a very culturally rich city and since I'm a big art fan, I'd just like to walk around more (on second thought, maybe just the flat parts...)
Point being: I need a vacation.
I came out of SF very exhausted. It's no fun (well, a little exciting, but you can't really call it "fun") having to wake up before some of your colleagues go to sleep to make flights, having to be 110% alert in a time zone that is not your own, and having to ask questions on topics you've only peripherally encountered and answer questions you haven't ever really thought about. It was a great experience, though, and now that I've recuperated a little, I can say that I've learned a lot from the multiple-interview day and have gotten to know some great people.
In addition, the accommodations were fantastic. We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake hotel, complete with a man dressed as Drake himself tagging our luggage to be brought up to our rooms and a giant red statue of the honorary knight/pirate in the lobby flanked by various colored liqueurs. The style seemed pretty Elizabethan with a modern twist and I rather enjoyed the details.
For the most part, I've come out of my trip eager to learn more science and excited for graduate school wherever I go; I just wish I would have gotten more time to explore the city. I think San Francisco is a really cool city and I've never spent enough time there to really be satisfied. I'm still finding out new things about Los Angeles, even though I've lived there for most of my life, and I know there will always be things to explore, but I feel like most every time I go to SF, I'm only there for a few days, most of which is tied up in whatever activity brought me there in the first place. SF is a very culturally rich city and since I'm a big art fan, I'd just like to walk around more (on second thought, maybe just the flat parts...)
Point being: I need a vacation.
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