Time for a Change

I've been contemplating the future of my blog.  Over the past few years it has been my "therapy," a way to deal with the stressers that came with being a doctoral student in a laboratory and other everyday things.  After successfully defending over a year ago I stopped writing on any consistent basis.  You see, I was out of that horrible laboratory environment and my situation had changed.  I didn't have a great need to vent, which was the primary purpose of this blog.  I needed to get the emotions and frustrations out in a non-destructive manner.  And having (usually) sympathetic ears made me feel like I wasn't alone in my circumstances.  I'm in a much better place now.  People who see me don't even have to ask how I'm doing.  It's evident on my face. They tell me I look so much "happier."  And these are people who didn't know all the details of my advisor situation.

After several months navigating academia and life outside of the laboratory setting, now as a "professional" and not just a graduate student, (and please know that the "just a graduate student" doesn't reflect my personal veiwpoint but the overruling viewpoint of those already in academia.) I have decided that I want to keep blogging.  I enjoy sharing my stories, good and bad.  Whether a lot of people follow my blog isn't my concern, my goal is to express myself in a relatively uncensored way.  Though I admit, part of my decision has to do with the fact that most of my friends have move away while I stayed in the same area.  I no longer have all of the face-to-face outlets I used to.  I have some, just not necessarily easy-access friends.

So I'm starting the new year with a fresh start, a new blog.  I feel like I'm leaving a good, faithful friend but I also feel that this is necessary because I know it's going to have a different tone than this one.  There will still be venting, but given the changes in my life and attitude, my writing will reflect these differences.  A new stage in my life, I feel, justifies a new start on my writing.

So if you want to follow me, I'm still a woman in academia just not in a laboratory setting.  I love science and I love doing science.  I will continue my life journey on my new site.  Comments from this one will stll go to m email, so if you'd like to find my new location please leave a comment and I'll send you the link.

I hope to see you there.

Thanks - Image Goddess