We are, like I have said before, nothing, without our friends. It was good to go to MN, even in the smouldering heat wave. Coming out of the airport the humidity that made breathing a conscious process, reminded me so much of the summers of MN. It was also a welcome change from the rainy, cold and cloudy Vancouver weather as of late; sorry I can't be grim enough!!! But I must say, three days of that and I was ready for Van again.
It was a decision making trip - a trip that would ease me in to making a decision. Dreams, like language, like culture, like people, evolve and sometimes old dreams die, to make room for new ones. Death, even when it is slow and expected and has been a long time a coming, is a sad process and people do all sorts of things to make the mourning process easier. For me it was comforting to meet the people who shared the same dreams as I did at some point in our lives; it was refreshing to see how their own dreams have evolved and what life has brought them, or they have brought to life.
My PhD advisor, surprisingly quickly calmed down at the prospect of me leaving active physics research and we were able to constructively discuss other options - it must have helped to have his sweet wife, who I always was fond of - but this day she said she wished she had her camera so she could take a picture of me, because I was so pretty :D (yes I know!!! she also suggested I send in a picture of myself with my job applications!!! What a sweet ol' lady…)
It was also nice to meet my former office-mates, all of whom have left academia. Two of them in particular had lost a whole bunch of weight and looked like they were in so much better shape than they were when they were in grad school; compare this with a post or two I made about my meeting my former experiment colleagues on my current experiment and wondering why they had let themselves go like that. It was nice see how they had made good lives with whatever it is that they chose - two of them who were working at the same company, were even running a bet on who would loose the most amount of body fat within a given time - I know so nerdy, but I found it to be cute. Going out of academia, does have its perks it seems. It was also fun to recreate the politically incorrect laughter of our former office. I am in so many ways glad you were my officemates.
But I feel ultra blessed for the few friendships I made out of the realm of my office, and in those friendships is where I truly sought solace this weekend. For everything each of you did this weekend, for being the reflection of our friendships, thank you! You will remain nameless here, but you all know who you are. Thank you for driving all the way to see me and reminding me that I am held in your heart in as high esteem as I hold you and for listening to my new dreams and telling me they are not only not stupid, but also that you will buy my book! :) Thank you for the therapeutic cats. Thank you for the motorcycle ride along the witness to many of my life's baffling decisions, the mighty Mississippi river. And thank you, all of you, for trusting me enough to show me what you can do, what you have done and what you will do in your own lives, for teaching me to think differently; for the laughter, for the snapshot of love we hold for each other in our often unexpressive hearts. I am everything I am, because of my friends!
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