Well, I finally made it Boston and I can say with all confidence that I think it’s going to be a great place to be.

I arrived last Thursday (Nov 9) with no place to stay and spent the next 48 hours scouring the Harvard Medical School off-campus housing website and craigslist for a place to live. I hadn’t yet figured out all the bus, subway, and shuttle routes so I figured, to play it safe, I had better find a place somewhat close to my new postdoc lab. After dozens of calls, emails, and some frustration, I finally found a nice place to call home. The best part is that it is only a short walk to my new lab in the Longwood Medical area. Mission 1 accomplished (although I have yet to find an equally convenient place to park my car).

Mission 2: Getting settled into the new lab.

Starting in a new lab can yield many great unknowns prior to arriving such as: will the people in lab be immediately friendly to a new member, will I get to work on a project tied to my interests, how does the PI interact with the lab members, etc. Luckily for me, I did my research when looking for a lab to do my postdoctoral research in, and I chose a lab with, not only a great reputation for research, but also a lab that had a great working environment.

Since I arrived at the lab last Monday (Nov 13), I have been so happy with my decision. The people in the lab have been really great; telling me about their research projects, and some even inviting me to possibly participate in related projects (that is great!). My first meeting with the PI, since starting, was also terrific. He broke down the projects of the lab, the direction the lab was going, and recommended who I should talk with in the lab that may have similar research interests. The new ideas, the new collaborations, the new technologies; it’s really exciting!

Now all I need to know is where the best local pizza place is.