Confusing Work with Play in the Midwest

Although I wasn't born in the midwest, it is my home. I am heading there next week to attend a conference (in Iowa City, IA), see friends and family (in Chicago, IL), and check in on things back at my house and old lab (in Bloomington, IN). The conference should be interesting-- this is the third consecutive year I have attended this particular meeting (of the Society for the Study of Molecular Biology and Evolution) and I hope I don't come down with a case of society fatigue (a little discussed but common condition where, after you attend a particular society's annual meeting a few times, all the talks start sounding the same even though the first year or two they all seemed really fascinating). Over time, I have definitely developed a preference for smaller, more focused meetings, but it seems like a good idea to stay in the general evolutionary biology loop by attending a bigger conference once a year. The Society for the Study of Evolution is the other option, but it is more like going to a really fun yearly college reunion than going to a scientific conference, so probably not the best way for me to keep on top of recent work. More diligent folks are able to somehow attend talks and learn something at that meeting, but last year, when I went commando (no registration) and only attended 4 talks, I realized it was probably time to give up the charade. It is, of course, unavoidable-- many of my closest colleagues are my closest friends (e.g. Britt and Idelle with whom I waded through graduate school at IU and with whom I will get to visit in Chicago after the meeting next week). In the same vein , there is little distinction between vacation and field work, or entertaining an invited speaker and a typical Friday night out on the town. I only hope my inability to distinguish between work and play is a sign of how enjoyable my work is, not a warning that my fun has gotten really mundane....

Sampling damselflies and cheating death with Idelle on top of Haleakala in Hawaii (above)-- the last of the 50 states for me to visit-- and working on a paper with Britt at Lake Monroe (really, we were; below).