Thoughts from the West Coast

1. I am traveling an awful lot this year.  San Francisco last month (and I still need to post photos) for a publisher's conference.  Anaheim now for the Experimental Biology meeting.  Alaska in June.  New York at Thanksgiving.

2. I was amused at the airport when I got here.  There was a man standing next to me at LAX, waiting for a shuttle.  He made me think that he was trying to be very cool--the sunglasses went on immediately, the jacket slung over his shoulder, that attitude of "I am more important than you" being projected from him.  He was holding onto his suitcase's extendable handle and he looked very cool...until the handle released and he tripped over his suitcase while trying to catch his balance.  I snickered.

3. It feels very weird to have to constantly plan the times that things are happening at home.  I know that Jason will be leaving work soon to get the kids, and they'll go home and have dinner.  However, it's only mid-afternoon here.  I'm about to hold an online review session for my biology majors and it's weird thinking that I should be in class in 30 minutes; instead, I'm going to hang out in Downtown Disney with my stepcousin in an hour!

4. While I knew that Disneyland was here, I didn't realize the intense lure of the Mouse until the shuttle bus that I took from my hotel stopped at the park.  I had to change shuttles and Space Mountain was right in front of me.  It was like the Siren's call.  I don't know how I managed to avoid it.

5. Science is awesome!  I believe Siobhan said it's like the "nerd mothership" and while I can't deny it, this is incredibly fascinating.  I've been to multiple talks on stem cells, pharmacology and pharmacovigilance, and anatomy.  I've read countless posters and gotten several lovely (albeit nerdy T-shirts).  It's a happy place to be...and not because Disney is right next door.

6. I miss my family.  A lot.

7. I got to see a lovely friend from graduate school last night for dinner.  She's here for the meeting also and we had a great time.  Takita, I'm so glad we got together!

8. I'm hoping I adjust to the time change going East as easily as I did coming West...but I doubt it.  And that's going to be challenging since I have to be at work 10 hours after my flight is scheduled to land.  Ugh.

9.  On the other hand, I will only have 3 days of classes left when I get back.  I've survived another semester--this is always cause for celebration!

10. Anaheim isn't nearly as pretty as San Francisco.  I loved San Francisco.  But I'm doing just as much walking here as I was there.  They have sidewalks in California.  SIDEWALKS!  My hotel is just over a mile from the conference center and I've walked it twice a day so far.

And I've got to go hold the review session now!