Once again, I guess it's been a while. I guess come summer I'll have to make time every Friday or something. We'll see.
A lot has happened in the last month, but I think even more has happened in the last week.
I'm going to Spain next week for the Osteoarthritis Research Society International Congress (OARSI) in BARCELONA!!! I wasn't planning on going, but Auntie Brenna and Uncle Keith came to the rescue and gave me their Aeroplan miles. I booked a first-class flight and decided to take a chance. I'm crazy-stoked, mostly because I get to meet a lot of the other experts whose work I cite....a lot. I was a little intimidated...ok, a lot intimidated...knowing that I would be picking brains and in sessions with people who are at the top of the field. To think....I'm at the top of the field right along with them. It was pretty overwhelming, until Supervisor came to the rescue and forwarded me some e-mails from some of his expert colleagues, and told them to look out for me....then to answer their questions about his work on his behalf. The cool thing is, the questions were in the e-mails, and I know the answers. It was a well-needed confidence boost.
This all happened after a little meltdown in a meeting with my supervisor. Turns out, I was exhausted and needed a break, but it took a meltdown to figure that out. Meltdown followed by coffee with Supervisor and Dr. D. I think it was exactly what I needed, to gain a little bit of perspective. I came out with some advice too:
"There's no problem too big that can't be worked out with a little bit of Bailey's. Coffee?"
"It's your life, it's research; but it's also your work. Don't become a work-aholic."
"Don't stop kicking a galloping horse."
"You're not driving fast enough until you lose control."
Either way, it all resonated and I think I'm going to hang onto them for a little bit.
I guess stuff kind of feels out of control from time to time. That's normal. It's just a matter of how you deal with it. My new strategy....sleep.
