Re-establishing Outside Contacts

Thanks to all who replied to my posts about my recently-felt need to get out of the house more. I'm glad for the encouragement. :) While I have not yet attended a scientific talk (can't seem to get a sked right now), I've already taken some steps to meet people I'm not related to. :)

I attended a mini-class in scrapbooking. It was just a one-hour presentation by a representative of a scrapbooking company. But at the end of it, I realized that, while I was there, not for a minute did I think about my toddler or my home. Isn't that great? What a refreshing break that turned out to be! Included in the class fee were a 12x12 kit for our class plus some more freebies from the company. So I got to take home some neat stuff to play with. It was also good to be among adults. Strangers, yes. But who cares? We were all there for a common reason. I didn't get to chat much with the others, but simply being there was good for my psyche.

That instance of being able to "go outside" encouraged me to do it more. Yesterday, I volunteered to help out at the university Study Abroad fair. My presence was not expected... I just appeared at the booth for the Philippine exchange program. But it was not less welcome. I was able to meet a new graduate student and strengthen ties with people I've met before. I almost didn't go, since it was raining hard, and thunderstorms were the forecast for our area. But I'm glad I did.

Making an effort to go outside the home sometimes really takes an effort. It's easier to stay at home, where everything we need to take care of our business is readily available. If we decide to go out sans baby, we have to pack the baby bag, arrange for someone to watch our kid/s, and so on. Sometimes, it can be a downright hassle. I've found that the effort is worth it, to go on little solo excursions that are not errands. I love being a stay-at-home mom. I just can't stay at home all day. Taking things easy and one-at-a-time seemed to be the way to go for me. Instead of forcing myself to go out just to be out, I found meaningful activities that I enjoyed.

I've some more activities lined up over the next two months or so. A women's health and fitness expo. Probably another scrapbooking class. And yes, I'll pursue that once-in-a-while scientific seminar, too.

:)

I Miss Whiteboards

I was watching TV earlier today, and a commercial came on. I forget what it's for but there was a guy talking and pointing at diagrams drawn on a whiteboard. And this feeling of nostalgia suddenly hit me. I miss whiteboards. I miss the environment they're found in. Squeaky dry-erase markers. Fully air-conditioned conference rooms. Cushy chairs around a long table. Low-pile carpeting. Meetings with a purpose.

My longing for intellectual exercise is stronger than I previously thought. I'm trying to think of the options I have. I could probably sit in at one of the weekly talks that go on at one of the plant science departments. I could take a class too, I suppose.

I'm already thinking of the logistics I'll need to take care of to attend a talk regularly. Parking. Prepping dinner ahead of time. Will it be too weird to show up where my former bosses and colleagues will also be present? Would they think I'm planning to back to work soon? I can say I only want to keep abreast of developments so as not to fall too far behind, which isn't a bad idea anyway. Or just admit I miss them. ;) Some of them might actually be reading this (maybe you'll see me at a talk one of these days, or not :) ).

Maybe I should just get out of my chair and do it, huh?

Restless mind

My brain feels like cotton right now. From lack of sleep? Too much sleep (I just woke up from a much-needed nap)? Lack of intellectual stimulation? Being in a rut?

It's been 9 months since I resigned from my job. It's not too long ago. But it seems long ago. I think I'm reaching that stage of settling down. Gone is the novelty of staying at home. I'm starting to miss working. Not everything about working per se, but specifically the exercise of the mind that an "outside job" requires. Talking to a variety of people throughout the day. Being out there.

I'm not bored physically. There's a lot to occupy my hands. It's just my mind that's jumpy. My brain cells are itching to stretch and tingle, as though they've been lying dormant for far too long.

I've tried to keep my mind occupied. Scrapbooking is my creative outlet. I'm reading Tolstoy's "War and Peace". But there's something about the scientific and academic world that's uniquely stimulating to me. When I was working, I've struggled at times to read journal articles, but it's kept my mind striving to keep up.

I think I'll take out my genetics books and read them again. Lynch and Walsh's "Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits" should wake my brain up. That will make some interesting leisure reading.