The gleaming skyline of Miami

I survived the DC trip. I learned lots, I was exhausted when it was over, and I will be taking a break from that research for a bit to recover and assimilate all the feedback I got on my research.

This trip was my first time back to DC since I left. I found myself trying to think carefully about my love for DC and my growing appreciation for Miami. I lived in DC for ten years (split into two different periods, mind you) and I love it. I appreciate the diversity of people, the culture, the museums, the public transportation, and the food. However, it is unlikely that Andrew and I will end up living there, because of our particular career choices. In comparison, Miami is currently a temporary stop: a post-doc position generally lasts two to three years. But it's not completely impossible that such a job turns into a permanent relocation.

So I often think about what it would be like to live in Miami all the time. If I quantified my feelings (is this something everybody does? Or just scientists?), I would say I'm about 85% happy with Miami. Many universities are located is small, or small-ish towns, and I am much happier in a city. I like living in a city large enough to have a gleaming skyline, and one that has good restaurants (even if they feature meat-heavy menus). I love seeing sunshine almost every single day of the year and living in a diverse community. However, I miss two things, and I miss them quite a bit: usable public transportation and the changing of the seasons. Miami does have public transportation, but not much of it goes to my university, which is far inland from Miami proper. As a result, I had to choose between living in a neighborhood I liked, near to the heart of the city, and living in a more suburban-y area, near the university. I chose the walkable neighborhood and the car commute.

I know that some people (my father and uncle, ahem) mock me for missing winter. But the changing of seasons is an integral part of my culture as I know it. The changing seasons tell me to eat different foods, wear different clothes, and engage in different activities. You picnic in the park in the summer, and you curl up with a good book in the winter. But in southern Florida nothing changes. It's a little sad to imagine planting a garden without any of the plants I love from my childhood - lilacs, irises, and daffodils, for example. And it's equally hard to wrap my mind around a life where I'll never want to eat stew or mulled wine, because it always feels like August.

I love my work here, though, and (as I mentioned) I'm 85% happy. Research shows that humans tend to rationalize things so that their likes and dislikes align with the decisions they've already made. So I'm pretty likely to only get happier with Miami as time goes on.

P.S. Tomorrow is Pancake Tuesday! Don't forget to make yourself some pancakes and live it up before Lent. (Regardless of your religion, everybody can get behind eating pancakes, can't they?)