BEDUS Day 44: One more week!

I belatedly realized that BEDUS is soon coming to an end. Spring Break begins next Friday, so that's only 10 more days of BEDUS. It's been crazy blogging every day and it's been difficult, especially when the time hits and it's already 11:58 and I have to scramble for something to say. Although my life as of late has been rather glamorous (jet setting to a different city every couple of days), it's been nice to just sit on the couch and sketch concepts for my creative project. I've been drawing elephants today, mostly, and it's been a good time.

I've also dramatically increased my productivity in lab and will probably be there every day until Spring Break. We'll see how that goes. :)

I could write lots of things about today. I ate a bowl of cereal and two slices of raisin bread for breakfast, a Caprese sandwich and freshly squeezed orange juice for lunch, and cornmeal crusted catfish for dinner. I went to the post office, worked up and started a reaction, made a plan, flung some ribbons, and drew some elephants wearing masks. I had dinner with my former roommate, took a shower, and watched some 30 Rock. And now I'm curled up on the couch with my Chemists do it Periodically t-shirt and JE sweatpants feeling warm and cozy. I'm ready for the next week. So bring it on.

BEDUS Day 43: Babar!

Today, Kelsey and I read 6 books of Babar aloud. It was like traveling back to a childhood that I never knew because surprise, I only knew Babar peripherally, through my cousin's videotapes. The image of Babar, however, is iconic, and has stuck in my mind since I was very young. He's probably the reason I think that elephants are cute and benevolent. I don't remember much else, but after reading the books, I can see why they would be popular with children.

They're filled with action, adventure, conflict, and resolution. There is excitement and danger, but also happy endings. The good guys, with their strength and cunning, always win and the skies are sunny, the waters cool and refreshing. Taken at face value, it's a great series of books. Of course, there are those who disagree with the underlying principles (colonialism, etc.) but I found it a nice throwback to childhood.

Basically, I love this class.

BEDUS Day 42: Recovery

I have spent most of today sleeping. Well, sleeping and recruiting. The YES Poster session went pretty well, and I got a lunch bag and my poster out of the deal, so it seemed pretty great, but other than that, I've been catching up on my sleep. I basically passed out when I got back last night, then got up, went to the poster session, passed out again when I came back and have been in a daze since dinner. I think my body and my mind has been stressed out so it's time for super recovery. Getting back into lab tomorrow, so we'll make a plan there, but it seems like I'm just waiting for Spring Break. Bahh.

No real revelations today other than the fact that I need more sleep.

Goodnight.

BEDUS Day 41: A Beautiful View

I am so exhausted. I basically slept all the way home (although I did finish The Hunger Games which was freaking awesome and made me so mad at the way it ended! Dangit going to have to go find Catching Fire when I have time even though my next book for fun really should be The Fault in Our Stars. Fun sidenote: I had just finished watching Hank Green's newest video on Smallest Animals at Philadelphia Airport waiting for my plane and I looked up and the girl sitting across from me was reading TFiOS. Woah.) Now I'm back, took a shower, and am going to pass out. Gotta present a poster tomorrow.

I'll probably edit this at some point with the view from the Hancock Tower (95th floor!) where we ate breakfast this morning. We got to see so much of the city and Lake Michigan that it was kinda breathtaking. Sure, the city was a city; dirty roofs, brown buildings, tiny cars, but there was something so surreal about being up there and seeing it from above. The feats of engineering, science, art, and culture, all wrapped up into one glorious town.

BEDUS Day 40: Second City

Today was a little grueling. Even without the pressures of interviews, talking with faculty still makes me nervous. I know it shouldn't, but  I can't shake the fact that I look young (am young!) and even though people shouldn't find me particularly threatening (intellectually), they're talking as if I understand everything they're saying. I am conversing with rock stars of the chemistry world, nodding and smiling, and it's working.

Actually though, the science was really quite amazing and even though I was hanging on by just the tail of the kite most of the time (that's not really a phrase, is it?) I felt like I knew just enough random knowledge to get through a lot of the science. It's kinda how I felt throughout most of Science Bowl, knowing just enough stuff gathered from different sources to make myself look more intelligent than I was. It's funny because I just feel like I'm forever behind, but I'm apparently not. I wonder what it's going to be like when I start teaching. Oh My Galapagos.

We went to The Second City tonight, a comedy club in downtown Chicago, which was really great. I got a mug that came with my drink, which is at present, stuffed in my boot in my suitcase, my tiny suitcase. Golly.

The skits were funny, laugh out loud funny, and the improv was great, but, maybe due to my week of fatigue, it wasn't the funniest thing I've ever seen. However, it was a great time and some of the skits they did were pretty poignant. However, they did this thing where they tried to connect the end with the beginning and kinda failed a bit. [Flashback to Seat Yourself. Oh My Galoshes] But I had a fun time and I'm really glad I went.

BEDUS Day 39: THIS DAY! (Spoilers...no spoilers)

This day has been an absolute adventure. Ups and downs, whirls, whorls, and all over the place. It started off like any other day where I plan to fly to Chicago. You know, because I do it all the time. But I'm kinda stressing because I went to sleep late having done laundry and finished my poster rather late and woke up (or rather, tried to blink and found my eyelids were too heavy) a little later than I had planned, and wound up being a smidge concerned that I was going to be late for my plane. Even though Tweed-New Haven is like...20 minutes away. And it's so small that they don't even open security until they're practically ready to board the plane.

But anyways, I'm rushing (when I don't need to be), I call the cab, and they say they'll be right there. Before I can ask them how long they'll take, they hang up, so I assume (correctly) that they'll be right there. So, I grab my bag, my trusty green suitcase, my coat, and hightail it out of there.

In the mix, I don't realize that I hadn't changed my shoes and was still wearing my Uggs, which are wonderfully warm and comfy for a running around the dorm, going to class, snuggling up in a big chair in the library way, but not in a meet some famous chemists way. It's only when I'm going through security, as I see the woman in front of me taking off some super cute (but uncomfortable looking) boots, that I notice that my feet are still quite warm and happy in Fluffyland. Oh. No.

Now, it's not the end of the world, but it seemed pretty disrespectful to me to show up to a recruitment in what basically amounts to pajama shoes (and some well-placed calls confirmed that notion) so I figure, hey, I'm getting to Chicago at around 3:15. I should have enough time before 6 PM to go buy myself a cheap pair of shoes (likely flats) that will get me through tomorrow.

I board the plane to Philadelphia, fall asleep, everything is hunky-dory (even though inside I'm still a little like ahhh only have 30 minutes to cross terminals and get lunch good thing I brought a bagel).

I get to my gate fine and they start asking people to volunteer to check their bags at the gate because there won't be any overhead space. Which I think is bull because the plane is built so that 3 overhead bags can fit per 3 seated row and if everyone has one under-the-seat bag and one overhead bag, then everyone's bag should be able to fit, but I guess they accounted for people having coats in the winter or something like that. But I hang on to my bag because it has my laptop in it and I kinda want it with me.

Except I'm in Zone 5, which means by the time to get to my zone, anyone who's got a second bag has got to get it checked. So I take out my laptop and send my trusty green bag on its way. And when I land in Chicago, and get my bag, it's no longer trusty, but lame. Like actually, missing a wheel. The plastic around the wheel has freaking BROKEN OFF. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?!? (Also, the guy next to me had half of the handle on his rolly bag broken off. WTF US AIRWAYS?!?) 

So yeah, after fuming for about 3 seconds and swearing to myself that I was never checking any electronics with US Airways again, I realized that I had to get another bag and soon because I was only Visit #4 of 8 and, well, it's my only carry-on bag. I drag my poor bag to the US Airways Baggage Claim Office and am like: LOOK AT THIS. What I really said was more along the lines of "Ummm...hi. I checked my bag at the gate, even though (by the way this is important) there was plenty of room in the overhead compartments when they said there wasn't going to be, and they mutilated my only way of getting my three outfits and bunch of cords around." Yeah, I didn't really say that either but I thought it.

The lady, who was very nice, said, "Oh I'm so sorry! It sucks when that happens." (Like it happens often!?)

Me: "Is there anywhere I could get a new bag? Because, well, I'm only visiting for a few days and I kinda need it."

Her: "Oh, we can just get you a new one."

!!! BEST PERSON !!!

So they gave me a new bag, which is a little smaller than my old one was (although today, I recognize that they generally make the carry-on bags smaller, so it didn't bother me too much). And it was brand new. And all of my stuff fit, and now I have a new trusty green bag.

Things work out! Now to make sure it'll fit everything I need it to for spring break. Probs going to take my backpack home for that one.

So shoes. I finally get to the hotel and get settled at 5 PM (after all the fiasco with bag and the horrible traffic over), and I got to go get set to get some shoes. Luckily, we're right on the Miracle Mile, which is where all the shopping is. Unfortunately, everything is a bajillion dollars since they have labels like GAP and Guess and Ann Taylor and Aldo, and the Forever 21 shoes were janky, but I found a Marshalls basically across the street from the hotel. They had a bunch of heeled booties which were too high (dang it, Fergie!), but I found a pair of calf-high wedged boots that seemed to fit alright. I didn't really want to walk all around Chicago in heels, but wedges seemed ok and they were dark brown and didn't look like I had just rolled out of bed and slipped them on. I found a pair in my size but the zipper on the left boot didn't want to come undone, so, noticing it was already 5:40, I grabbed the display box and low and behold, it was a pair of very similar flat boots with some cooler buckle details. And only $25. Holy crap.

Normally, I would probably think that these boots emphasized my calves a little too much and made me look a little stumpier than normal, but for an on-the-fly purchase where no one would really notice my normal shoes anyways, I though it was a pretty good deal. Plus, they were easy to slip on because of the huge calf factor and easy to walk in. And then I ran back to the hotel, changed very quickly, and booked it to the bus. And made it. And my feet are happy. I'm going to count this as a win.

So more reflections on Chicago as a whole later (spoilers: it's a beautiful city, and the campus looks beautiful illuminated at night and the science is pretty cool) but I'm exhausted from all of the above so I'm just going to shower and sleep. Good night!

Oh! I've also been reading The Hunger Games! I'm about halfway through the first book and enjoying the story and the strong female character. The writing is pretty pulpy but there's a big emphasis on color and food, both things I enjoy. I wouldn't say it's a holy grail book but it's good for a plane ride, so I'll likely abandon most of my other readings for it. We'll see how I feel once I finish it. Ok byes for reals!

BEDUS Day 38: Back for a Night

I get to sleep in my own bed for a night and then I'm off to Chicago for 3 days. Well, it's really only 1 full day and dinner and breakfast. Which reminds me: I should probably get myself some lunch at some point tomorrow. Hmm...planning fail.

My post New York reflections reveal that traveling is hard, even when traveling only 2 hours away by train. It may be that I was working on my poster all during the train ride over and really got no respite. I was back for all of 1.5 days and most of that was spent finishing a midterm and frantically reading stuff. I'm not complaining about the traveling; after all, I get to see great institutions and meet wonderful people, but in hindsight (maybe even in foresight), the whole getting on three sets of moving vehicles in a week was probably not the most enlightened of choices.

I'm excited about going to Chicago because it's my first real visit; I've been interviewing everywhere else so there's always a sense of urgency and stress. After all, although you're interviewing the institution, you're not really are you? They're still interviewing you and ultimately, you're not in yet, so you'd better look sharp. With a visit, I can only assume it'll be different, that people will be more in "recruit" mode so things will be less tense. One can only hope.

Well, tomorrow, off on the plane. Looking forward to the Windy City.