Like a pot: Part 3
"Create like a god; command like a king; work like a slave." - Constantin Brancusi
My data analysis is taking shape, and at the same time, I myself am being molded. I definitely feel different than when I arrived in Stavanger.
I've shared with you before that my life in Norway is a lot simpler than in Oregon. Most of that is because I have only one occupation here, and that is my science. In Oregon, my attention was divided between teaching violin lessons, participating in dance classes, mentoring undergraduates, and helping out my fellow grad students when nobody else would. A number of things in Oregon made my life complicated, and every single one of them disappeared when I came to Norway.
It's more than that, though. I could have moved anywhere in the world and gotten away from my hectic schedule. I feel Norway shaping me, molding me, nurturing me.
It happened when I arrived at IRIS and was shown into my office - my very own office. It's huge!
It happened when I decided to stay an extra few days in Svalbard and Andrew wrote "I trust you 100%" in an email.
It happened when I finally got results - great results! - from an image analysis two years in the making.
It happened when I realized Norwegian ecotoxicologists were actually interested enough to listen about my research.
It happens every time I meet with Andrew; every time I speak with a colleague at IRIS; every time I update my adviser back in Oregon.
I am growing.
And someday, I will be a well-rounded, full-fledged, independent scientist who leads teams of colleagues and armies of undergraduates into battle against ignorance and the unknown. I will write my own grant proposals and research papers, lead my own cruises, and coordinate with beloved colleagues the world over. I will create like a god, command like a king, and work like a slave. And when I look back at my time in Stavanger, I will realize that it was the time when I came into my own, when I learned how to be a mature scientist.
I will realize that in Stavanger, everything changed.
My data analysis is taking shape, and at the same time, I myself am being molded. I definitely feel different than when I arrived in Stavanger.
I've shared with you before that my life in Norway is a lot simpler than in Oregon. Most of that is because I have only one occupation here, and that is my science. In Oregon, my attention was divided between teaching violin lessons, participating in dance classes, mentoring undergraduates, and helping out my fellow grad students when nobody else would. A number of things in Oregon made my life complicated, and every single one of them disappeared when I came to Norway.
It's more than that, though. I could have moved anywhere in the world and gotten away from my hectic schedule. I feel Norway shaping me, molding me, nurturing me.
It happened when I arrived at IRIS and was shown into my office - my very own office. It's huge!
It happened when I decided to stay an extra few days in Svalbard and Andrew wrote "I trust you 100%" in an email.
It happened when I finally got results - great results! - from an image analysis two years in the making.
It happened when I realized Norwegian ecotoxicologists were actually interested enough to listen about my research.
It happens every time I meet with Andrew; every time I speak with a colleague at IRIS; every time I update my adviser back in Oregon.
I am growing.
And someday, I will be a well-rounded, full-fledged, independent scientist who leads teams of colleagues and armies of undergraduates into battle against ignorance and the unknown. I will write my own grant proposals and research papers, lead my own cruises, and coordinate with beloved colleagues the world over. I will create like a god, command like a king, and work like a slave. And when I look back at my time in Stavanger, I will realize that it was the time when I came into my own, when I learned how to be a mature scientist.
I will realize that in Stavanger, everything changed.
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