Back in the Saddle

Where to begin? I spent most of the last two weeks back in Arlington, Texas. It was no walk in the park, but the view out of the window from the plane as I left Portland was a wonderful reminder of what I would be coming home to and the end of the trip. It was actually a two part deal-- the first chapter in Texas and the second in Arizona. Texas was, well... texan. As I have blogged before-- a place of contrasts: the sacred and the profane. I got to see some dear friends, hear some good music, and get some work done, so one can't complain all that much. Let's just say, at the end of Chapter 1, I was eager to make my way west. I was invited to give a talk at Northern Arizona University by two old friends from very different chapters of life that both live in Flagstaff, AZ and who happen to work at the same place (kind of). Tal Pearson was my study buddy at Earlham College (friends since ~1993) and John Gillichi was my kindred spirit during my first few years of grad school at IU (circa 2002, although he really came around to being my friend in 2003). I think they met at a party, figured out they both knew me, and...wallah... a seminar invitation was born. This is how dorks take vacations.
Flag, as it is often referred to, was awesome. I stayed two nights with Gillichi and one night with Tal and his beautiful family. The air was dry, the sun was bright, the aspen turning color, and overall I received the warmest reception a girl could hope for-- both from my friends, their kids, partners, colleagues, and bosses. The science going on at NAU/Tgen/MGen (long story) is both interesting and important (far more relevant than my own research, and a relevance that I definitely crave). It was an extremely fun and stimulating visit and made me remember (again) how lucky I am to have this job, be in this field, and be surrounded by these people. Overall, an excellent trip but, like I said, it's good to be home.