Well, it's been a full three weeks since I've left Canada - it feels longer than three weeks however, since I've had to get so much done...the drive that was spread out 4 days already felt like a week. Looking for housing only took a couple days, but felt like 3-4. I've also had to buy a lot of things for my apartment, of which they've finally all arrived (with the exception that I need to get my mattress exchanged cause they gave me a slightly different model)...but all in all, things are starting to come together. I still have yet to organize my study/guest room, where my desk and a few boxes are still laying unorganized in a corner...I guess using my office has been a lower priority with work and going out shopping for things for my apartment recently, added to the fact that I've been sitting in my work office a lot these past weeks getting settled in at work and doing a bunch of safety courses...of which I have more to do (next up: radiation training...fun). I am glad though that at least I finally have a couch for my body to relax on (as apposed to sitting on the floor, which is at least carpetted) when watching TV. Oh, and I finally have a bank account here...just need a credit card, then my life will be much simpler!
I'm a bit anxious to do some "real" work though in the lab...get my hands wet doing some experiments. It's still a little disorganized on that front cause a third of our lab is moving next door and I have yet to really claim my spot in the (main) lab...some of the benches are a bit messy and if I'm gonna work, I'm going to have to clean and organize it! Of course, some may say it's already "fine", but you gotta know where everything is that you need and that will already take some time for me apart from my own lab bench.
The people at Texas Tech University Health Science Center are nice, as are the people in my lab. I do notice that most people are a bit more friendlier than I'm used to in Toronto. They don't exactly stand there and hand you free beer, but I'd say at least 6 out of 10 people will smile or say hello to you (even if they don't know you), 9/10 people will do so if they've seen you before and as apposed to in Toronto, where I think about 1/10 people would say hello to you if they didn't know you and maybe 4/10 would do so if they've seen you before (i.e. a co-worker in another department). People are also courteous on the roads...there is no road rage and people would rather wait a full minute before making a left turn into oncoming traffic rather than rush into traffic and expect others to let them in...then again, there isn't much traffic in Lubbock.
Although there are a few things that will take a little while getting used to, like how spread out everything is, one thing that I'm finding easy to get used to are cheap booze ($5/bottle wine, $6-8/6 bottles of beer) (I guess cost of living is generally lower too, especially with only 8.25% federal tax) and the warm climate...Again, the swings can be more than I'm used to, both within a day and between days. Today, it's -3 degrees Celcius to about 8 degrees...a bit chilly by Texas standards. But just a couple days ago, although the low was also around freezing, the high got above 20 degrees! I guess you really have to dress in layers cause you never know exactly what the weather's going to like! But hey, I'm not complaining, I can still see green outside as opposed to snow.
Now to get on track at work...which will be hard to do with the holidays coming up! I can feel the urgency to get going...and I'm sure January will be a busy month for me!
