A few precious hours

The snow in New England never lasts very long.

Living so close to the ocean means that our winters are mild and our snow cover ephemeral. When the white flakes begin to fall, I know I only have a few hours until they inevitably metamorphose back to rain. But oh, those hours are glorious. 

The drudgery of a pandemic winter is hard to escape, so I'm working on finding joy wherever I can. I actually recently heard a colleague describe scientific life as "alternating phases of euphoria and despair," and I cannot say he's wrong. The trick is to make the euphoria last as long as possible, while keeping the despair confined. 

So today, like an adult child enjoying the few precious hours of New England snow, let's focus on those moments of euphoria. 

- My lab has been asked to collaborate on a project that would take my research in a new direction. We're not sure if the methods will work, but part of the point of the project is to develop a reliable protocol. If it works, this project could open up new avenues for funding and future projects.  

- My grad student is totally killing it. She's in the process of designing her thesis, and whenever we meet, she impresses me with her progress. I'm really excited to watch her research take shape.

- It looks like one of the papers I submitted this fall could be accepted for publication soon. 

- Next week, I'll give a presentation on a new vision for ocean research to a group of scientists and stakeholders. It was an honor to be asked. 

- In the next few months, I'll be submitting proposals for two projects I'm really excited about. Both have been revised to incorporate reviewer's comments, which means they probably have a reasonable chance of getting funded. 

- Once this winter melts into spring, my lab will have some field work (covid permitting), which I am really looking forward to!

Friends, may we embrace the moments of euphoria and precious hours of snow when they come.