A short and sweet blog on Cinco de Mayo!
SONG INSPIRATION
This month’s blog is inspired by both Naughty By Nature’s “Feel Me Flow” and Jazmine Sullivan’s “Lions, Tigers, & Bears”.
CATCHING UP
The first half of my 2-month travel reprieve has been just what the…mechanic suggested. Sorry, I was trying to avoid the doctor cliché. In the last 4 weeks, I’ve slipped back into my routine – exercising, eating well, working at the library, socializing with friends on the weekend, and catching up on TV shows. I’ve also returned to reading and writing at a regular pace. I’ve even had time to start planning the rest of the year. I’m just now realizing how hectic February and March were in terms of travel. It has been so nice to just…exist. To have time to think. Perhaps the best part of the past month has been the relaxing conversations with my family, the casual Sundays watching horror movies with one of my best friends, and spending the evenings munching on popcorn with my goober. Beginning in June, things will accelerate (again) to an unprecedented level.
EXPANDING MY NETWORK
One of my goals this year has been to expand my professional network. I’ve met many people during my 9 years in volcanology and planetary science, but I haven’t nursed most of those connections. Now that my career is accelerating and I’m aiming for long-term employment (applications to begin in fall 2023), it’s important that I connect with more people in and adjacent to my discipline. Not only will this foster opportunities for future collaborations, but it could also mean potential friendships. Overall, volcanology and planetary science are both fairly small fields. You see the same names over and over. Most people tend to know most people, especially by the time they’re looking for jobs. To this aim, I’ve made an effort to attend more conferences this year (3 as opposed to 1), accept invited talks (3 so far), and accept reviewer invitations (classified). Academia is a long-term game. You’re strategizing on decadal timescales. The decisions you make in 2022 aren’t for 2023, but for 2033 or 2043.
WRITING UPDATE
Writing progress is back on track and I’ve managed to focus a little. I’m now focusing on my novel, one science manuscript (paper 4), and this blog (of course). There are 2 additional science manuscripts I plan to start (papers 5 and 6 – to say nothing of a potential paper 7 with a friend), but only after I’ve tidied up paper 4. Paper 3 is still under review and I expect to receive it back in the coming weeks with suggested edits and revisions. With respect to my novel, if I’m able to write at least 1 scene per week, then I should finish it by the end of the year. The copious amounts of travel make that difficult, but I’m hopeful. Blogging more about my writing updates holds me accountable, so expect progress in the coming months.
CURRENT SHOWS & BOOKS
Recently finished: Attack on Titan (s4 – part 2); Disenchantment (s4); The Last Kingdom (s5)
Currently watching: Modern Family (s10); The Great (s2)
Currently reading: Wine for Dummies
Thank you again for reading! My next blog is scheduled for Thursday, June 2nd. Please continue to exercise caution. Until next time….
The Planetary Novelist 