Packing for Texas

Well, it's hard to believe that I'm about to move to Texas.  Looking for a job has been a long process, full of ups and well, even more downs.  But I guess that's how science is, so I guess I'm used to it by now!  Luckily I've found a great opportunity to do some exciting research in the field that I'm accustomed to, membrane transporters.  Maybe I'll leave it to a future post to talk about the research.

I've spent nearly a year back home in Richmond Hill and have enjoyed every day here!  Since then, I've been back to Kingston to defend my PhD thesis, finished corrections to it post-defence and had the pleasure of visiting Kingston one last time for my second and last university convocation.  I can't believe it has been 7 years since I convocated prior to my PhD convocation and that I've been "in school" at a post-secondary institution for a decade of my life...yes, a decade!  Crazy, eh?  But to be honest, grad school didn't really feel much like school because I only had about 3 courses that I had to complete within 2 year's time and spent the majority of my time doing research.  And although research often tests the patience of the person doing it, it also teaches you a lot of attacking problems, persistence and allows you to be creative with your ideas and approaches, a freedom many jobs often lack.  I found this opportunity to be quite satisfying.  I only wish I had been able to publish more.  But the conferences I went to in Innsbruck, Austria and Frederick, Maryland, were inspiring.  It's amazing how much brain power is at these conferences...I'll always feel like a lowly peon next to some of those minds.   But back to grad school, it was great to be able to have your own project, set your own deadlines, work your own hours and still make time to hit a local pub or two every weekend...with friends around and lots of activities in Kingston, it was a pretty sweet deal - I definitely enjoyed my times there.  And if I ever got home sick, I was only a 2.5-hour drive away. 

This time, the move will be of a much more significant distance.  I'll be starting a Post-Doctoral Research Associate ("post-doc") position with a well-known name in my field of ABC transporters down at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas.  It's a small city of only about 275,000 people, but spread over a large area to make it seem like a pretty rural town.  This will definitely be a change from Toronto, the city I've grown up to know and enjoy...I still don't know the streets well in Toronto!  It will take some getting used to, but I'm definitely up for the change and the new experience.  The position will probably be for the next 3 years, before I move on...it's not a set contract, just a chance for me to contribute to a lab and get some experience and papers out of it.  Where I go next is up in the air, just like my situation just 2 short months ago before I found this great opportunity.

So, I've started to pack my car for the long drive down...I'll be stopping in Dayton, OH, St. Louis, MO and Oklahoma City, OK before reaching Lubbock, Texas.  I've already receieved a TN Visa application package from the university in Texas that will hopefully allow for a smooth and speedy processing of my visa at the US border.  A catch to these visas is that you can't enter the US more than 10 days from your first day of official work, which can be tricky if you don't even have a place to live!  Upon arrival in Lubbock, I'll have to get a proof of employment letter just so I can possibly sign an apartment rental lease.  Upon starting work, I'll have to fill out additional forms that will allow me to apply for a Social Security Number, get a bank account and other essentials like a cell phone and TV service.  This is all while I may not even have an apartment to live in...luckily my boss is helping me out with accomodations prior to me having signed an apartment.  But I'll basically be starting to work before even having a bed to sleep in, assuming I've then "moved in" to an apartment - it'll be bare until I get a chance to buy lots of furniture - another chore for when I arrive.  Thinking about the logistics is a bit overwhelming, but I guess I'll just have to take it day by day...at first, without a phone, internet or a place to call home.

Well, let's see how much I can fit into my car...I may not be able to bring all that I want to bring, I just hope I am able to fit all that I need to bring in the car...the more I can bring, the less I need to buy!  I leave in a few days.  Just enough time to see a few more friends and have a couple more nice dinners!