Conference

I'm back! I had a great time with the family, although I'm certainly feeling the vacation in my jeans today :)

The conference was good, I think my talk went really well and was well received. I had a few questions (not just pity questions from the moderator) and I was able to answer them all. The overall experience wasn't what I expected, but it was good nonetheless. I was part of a women in xx-chemistry symposium, which ended up consisting of talks by some really amazing women in my field, and then there were 6 students invited to speak. It was great to meet these people from all over the world and interact with them. These women are trying to put together a women in xx-chemistry group under an official banner and are interested not just in networking amongst themselves but bringing in students as well. It was actually somewhat of an honor to be included (one of the organizers asked my boss to send us).

I mentioned that I was irritated that I was being sent at the same time as a labmate who until this year had done no research. I take it back. She was great to travel with and it was nice to have someone to hang out with and practice my talk with. I don't think that there was any doubt in anyone's mind that my project was much more developed and thought out than hers, but in all honesty that didn't matter to me. Both of our talks were well received and we met some amazing women. For all of my complaining about my boss, it was great of him to agree to send us to this particular symposium.

Now, time to focus and get back to work :)