Welcome back, loyal readers! A brain dump of premium quality awaits thee!
SONG INSPIRATION
This month’s blog is inspired by Doja Cat’s Addiction from her album, Hot Pink.
SPRING FLING…ME OFF THIS PLANET
Still in the (loosening, maybe) grip of the pandemic, the world’s climate and democracies continue to collapse. Despite all that, I’m already knee deep in the semester. Black History Month might be the shortest month, but that doesn’t make it any less busy. I’m currently working on a number of projects, including reviews, a poster, papers, and job applications.
First, let’s talk work. I’ve taken on a variety of responsibilities now that I’ve been a postdoc with the same institution for over 6 months. It’s really cool to have a diverse job description that includes research, mentoring, and academic service. Working from the local public library a few days a week has been a game changer in regards to motivation, productivity, and efficiency. Outside of work things are progressing within a state of anticipation. While I anxiously await to hear about my employment prospects, I’ve returned to PC and PS4 gaming (after a 9-year hiatus), started learning Spanish, begun construction on a Lego Tokyo Tower, and continue to read and write. Learning to live in a state of anticipation has been a challenge for me, but I’m using it as an opportunity to explore hobbies, learn, and create.
ON THE NEXT 3-5 YEARS: DEFINING A LIFESTYLE
One of the nice things about having finished graduate school and being in your 30’s is that life slows down (relative to your 20’s) and you finally start to think about and construct the lifestyle you (think) you want. This summer will make 2 years since I finished graduate school and, in that time, I’ve lived abroad and worked remotely. That’s given me lots of time to reflect and oodles of perspective. For instance, I used to think I wanted to buy a house in my mid/late 30’s and settle down somewhere. Not anymore. I used to think I wanted to live in the US and travel 1-2x a year to domestic and/or international destinations. Not anymore. I used to think having an account with a big bank was necessary. Not anymore.
Here’s where I am today. I don’t think I want to own something, at least not in the foreseeable future. [There’s a whole (late-stage) capitalism to socialism transition going on in my life that I’ll leave for another day.] I’m comfortable with my lifestyle as a renter, because it gives me the flexibility of movement (especially as it relates to my employment) and I don’t have to worry about maintenance.
Perhaps more importantly, I’ve started looking into a more digital nomadic lifestyle. I want to see the world. Not visit, but experience. I would rather die at 60 having seen the beauty of this world, than live to be 90 and never having left my state or country. While taking the occasional vacation is wonderful, international vacations tend to be overly planned and exhausting. That’s not what I want…anymore. Given climate change and looming instabilities, it’s unclear how much things will change (for the worse) in the coming decades. Selfishly, I want to experience the different people, cultures, and perspectives before that happen. How can I do this? Maybe it means hopping from country to country over a period of months. Or spending a portion of the year working and living in another country. All the while, I would maintain some type of employment. What could it all look like? That depends on my job, what works best for me, and a variety of other factors.
I know I want a lifestyle that allows me to see the world. I know I want flexibility and independence. But I also know that I want to educate and leave the world in better shape than when I left it (so egotistical, I know). I’ve recently started learning more about organizations dedicated to social justice, abolition, mutual aid, degrowth, etc. Many of my ideas around the lifestyle I’m building for myself are immature in their concept. I still have a lot of learning and reflection to do. But this is the time to do it.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
This is aimed directly at the STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) community. It’s Black History Month. And it’s been nearly 2 years since George Floyd’s murder. That benchmark is important because – unfortunately – that’s the event it took for many institutions, including academia, to throw an enormous amount of (performative) energy toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. And yet, it’s always disheartening – nah, let’s just be real – infuriating to find so many colleagues who have chosen the path of willful ignorance. It’s doubly infuriating when it comes from younger generations, such as your peers. If you can understand some of the most complicated and complex concepts about the natural world, but you can’t understand how systems of power are used to benefit some and oppress others…maybe you shouldn’t be in STEMM. We don’t need you.
I’m sick and tired of bad faith actors and lack of will. That’s why STEMM is the way it is. That’s why abusers can continue to neglect, harass, and harm students and colleagues. It’s why diversity (and equity, inclusion, and accessibility) remain abysmal for the geosciences. At some point, you’re just acting in bad faith. You know it’s a problem but you don’t care. If you’re unaware of these issues (which is more reasonable if you reside outside of the US and Western Europe), then that’s a little more understandable. But most of the bad faith acting I’ve observed has come from those in the US (bias, yes, because it’s where I live) who have been exposed to these concepts and yet…sigh. Okay, that’s enough. I had to vent. I’ll let it go. For now.
CURRENT SHOWS
Recently finished: Insecure (s5); Modern Family (s7); The Wheel of Time (s1)
Currently watching: Bakuman (s3); Modern Family (s8); Sweet Tooth (s1); The Book of Boba Fett
Currently reading: The Universe and Beyond: Fifth Edition by Terence Dickinson
Thank you for reading this brain dump! This week is busy, but I somehow found time to vomit these words from my fingertips. Ew. My next blog is scheduled for Thursday, March 10th – smack dab in the middle of a conference. Until next time….
The Planetary Novelist 