The Perks of Academia

So after a good 7 months of academic slavery I was finally able to experience one of the perks of academia - funded trips to conferences. A truly fantastic experience, made even better of course by the four hour delayed flight into Washington DC which meant I missed my conference presentation. Therefore, with no commitments, beautiful weather, and the department paying the bills - I settled back for a few days of luxury. With the cherry blossom festival only a week away there were already parts of the city blooming, making walks around the town a very peaceful experience indeed. The conference was also very interesting, with topics based on the general theme of behavioral medicine. I discovered the best sushi I have eaten (and thus ate there 4 times in 2 days), 'networked' until my arms fell off, caught a few museum tours, and then gladly passed out at my hotel. So I think this conference deal is a good one - now the challenge is to smuggle Jen with me as my young secretary.

Pictured: The cherry blossoms of DC, a different 'slant' on a telephone box at the Hirshhorn, and to ensure that this trip wasn't too high brow...the best door mat I have seen in awhile.

Spring Break !

So Spring Break came and went in a flash of sunshine, beaches and family events back in Los Angeles. After a hectic first half of the semester it was a tough decision as to where to spend our week away from South Bend. We considered Cancun, Puerto Rico, the Galapagos Islands, Jamaica, or a quick trip to Florida…before deciding on our final vacation spot of LA. Hollywood, Disneyland, Venice Beach – how could we go wrong – and I was sure that Jen’s brothers would be able to put on as good a wet t-shirt competition as any that could be seen in Mexico. So after the savoring the joy of flying out of South Bend rather than Chicago, we settled down to a relaxing few days seeing Jen’s family and soaking up the fat from every food emporium unique to the West Coast. It was a great week – with trips to Huntington Beach and movies and drinks with friends and family. It was a slightly stressful trip of course – seeing as we are small town people now. All the lights, the people and the hussle and bussle of the big city – was just a bit overwhelming for us. We survived though – and luckily I still dress just like one of those big city folk and so we didn’t stand out too much in public. Thus, 5 pounds heavier, and having renamed LA the City of Indigestion – we climbed back on board our plane and retreated to South Bend…looking forward to the quiet streets, the gentle rhythmic sound of a horse and buggy, and the warm comforting sight of corn.

Is that...the...sun?

Yes indeed ladies and gentleman - the sun has appeared in South Bend Indiana once more! The snow is melting, birds are chirping and the first signs of spring can be seen just behind the 12ft mountain of snow and ice in the car park. It is a welcome sign for Jennifer and I after a long and hard fought winter - with flooding and car accidents behind us - and having lived in a state of denial for 3 months - it will be a welcomed change to be able to leave the apartment with skin exposed. And with exams now behind us - it seems the mood is infectious - with hundreds of students setting out on runs through campus to take advantage of the sun and blue sky. It is indeed a unique experience to be walking in 10C/50F weather and contemplate the virtues of summer - relishing the tropical nature of such temperatures. In celebration of living in an environment that truly sees the four seasons (and in slightly less celebration of the fact that I walk through the same doors each morning) - I have been taking the same picture of the North Quad each morning for the past 5 months. This minor tradition I am hoping to maintain for the next couple of years - before compiling the photographs into one of those very nifty animated time-lapse videos. While the snowman from last week remains the highlight so far of my north quad pictures, it has been none the less interesting to look back and contemplate some of the horrific weather conditions that failed to keep me from arriving at my office...Nerdom: 1 & Coolness: 0.

Pictured: The beginning...middle...and end of our first winter.

Happy Birthday to…ME!

So another year has passed…I am a year older and hopefully a bit wiser…but I think it is going to be a lot of fun being 22 – I think I already feel more mature and grown up. The department here at ND managed to come up with one of the best birthday presents possible – by officially accepting my thesis from Australia as a US Masters thesis – in essence cutting my work load here dramatically and my time in the program by a good year or two…depending on how keen I am to leave and get a job of course…?

So after that piece of good news it was easy to celebrate my birthday – with many generous parcels arriving from Oz – some great gifts from Jen – and some generous friends in South Bend and Los Angeles – made for a wonderful start to my next year.

All is well here as we near the halfway mark of the semester – with a trip to LA planned for the next two weeks – we are looking forward to leaving the snow and blizzard conditions behind for a little while. Finally, over the past month I have come precariously close to being considered a hypochondriac by the staff here at the ND health department. Within two weeks I reported to them with a sore back from the accident, a suspicious skin blemish (aren’t all Australians paranoid of skin cancer?), and then a third time to find out that I had torn a muscle in the wall of my chest. Thus, after meeting the vast majority of the staff on multiple occasions, it was with no great thrill that I noticed a second suspicious blemish on my arm. Reaching across to the phone to book an appointment (all of which are free…and just in the next building from me…hence the multiple visits of course) I ran my finger over the bump…scratched it…realized it was chocolate…put the phone down…and calmly imagined the doctors reaction had I gone into their office to have my ‘suspicious blemish’ looked at. Do you think they can prescribe bathing properly? Or attempting to get all food stuffs into my mouth while eating? I guess we will never know…

Pictured: Proof that even students at a Catholic university have a sense of humor…