Sitting down to write this blog post feels like pulling on my favorite blue fuzzy sweater. It’s misshapen, has a few holes in it, some people don’t get it, but I love it. I wear it (at home only) because it’s comfortable, it feels like me, and it feels like home. Get where I am going with this? Yea, it’s like blogging. Blogging got me an internship at Nature Network, an opportunity so cool that I was practically jealous of myself. Now the internship is coming to an end, but the blogging will go on, as it always has.
Well, maybe not always. The last couple of months have been quiet for me on the blogging front. Let’s just say the fuzzy blue sweater has been at the cleaners. (Enough with the metaphor? Ok then). I managed to stick my finger in many different pies while at NPG and I have to say that every single one of them was wonderful, interesting, hugely educational, challenging, at times eye opening and most recently, very time consuming. I tried on a QA hat in testing the regular Nature Network code releases, covered the Boston science scene, helped plan an NN pub night, and tried to come up with new ways to rile up the NN community. Some failed, some were pretty good.
I squirmed my way onto Nature Precedings, helping to curate some of the many submissions that this beautifully designed and carefully thought-out site receives every day. I somehow managed to convince the lovely folks at the Signaling Gateway to let me write featured articles for them, which summarize new and interesting signaling-related papers published in Nature journals. I even tried my hand at commissioning Molecule Pages, though time proved to run a little short. As a further departure still, I got to jump into the deep end of the business development pool – and if you don’t know what business development is, that’s alright. Neither did I.
I helped put together the Science Blogging conference, which took place last summer. That event brought me to NPG’s London office (aka the mothership). I learned that small children – or dazed and jet-lagged interns – should never wander the hallowed Crinan Street halls alone, or risk becoming so thoroughly disoriented and lost as to never be seen or heard from again. I learned that the people who work for NPG are the most absurdly, obscenely, and ridiculously gifted, fun, supportive, and – for lack of a better word – smart people that I have ever met in my life, and trust me, that’s saying something. I’ve been around. I hope that I will get to keep these people as friends for many years to come (that’s a virtual shout-out to Corie, Li Kim, Matt, Emily, Kira, Catherine, and everyone else at the Boston and London NPG offices who made every day different and more fun that the one before).
To say that I enjoyed my last six months at NPG would be an understatement. I don’t yet know what lies ahead for me, after my last day on Dec 12, but my fingers are still poking around those pies. Will let y’all know how it turns out. No matter what, I will still be here, on NN. That’s how this whole chapter of my life got started and I am not about to mess a good thing up. The next two weeks are going to be super busy as I have a big birthday (and try, try, try to embrace it), wrap up my work at Nature Network, clean up the desk that started out so pretty and clean…
My desk, a little worse for wear
…and take off on a long overdue holiday to Rome. (Any Rome-based bloggers out there want to tell me about good places to eat?). After I get back, I am going to wear that blue sweater a whole lot more often.
I can’t believe it’s only been 6 months! I remember reading your posts when you got your PhD and started at NN, and it seemed like aaaaages ago. At the time I could not imagine ever finishing myself, but now I’m 5 days away from being done myself (and not supposed to be playing online, sssst!) and I might even have managed to wiggle my way into a (day) job for at least a while, but that is not yet certain.
(And don’t eat at the touristy places in Rome (eg. anything close to the colloseum): they charge WAY too much for bad food.)
Anna, what a cool post – thanks for the glimpse at what you’ve been doing! And goodluckgoodluckgoodluck!!!
(what a funny little word that is, ‘glimpse’)
Yay for Anna. You’ve played a huge part in making Nature Network the friendly yet stimulating place it is. It’s been a pleasure being colleagues these past six months.
That’s how you can tell I’m much older than Eva – your time at Nature seems to have just flown by.
Now you are due for that delightful vacation everyone deserves to take after completing their PhD program.
I was also in Rome in December (and much of Italy) and I would say – bring your warm clothes from Boston except for the snow boots. Also, get off the streets on New Year’s Eve, as the Italians, especially those residing tall buildings, think “out with the old” should be applied literally from the windows.
I hope your future still entails you being in lots of contact with people but also with a keyboard such that you continue to write. You skills are developed both around people and around words. And given that you are good at conducting experiments as well, not too far from science at that. Good luck exploring your options.
Wow, 6 months already (see who I am feeling closer too in this commentary ;) ). It sounds like a marvellous time and I wish you the best with the future! It sounds like you have gotten a bunch of good ideas and thoughts on what you want to do.
Oh and Rome, there are so many nice restaurants but I would avoid the ones close to the biggest touristattractions since they are a bit too “expensive”. And look for ‘trattorias’ since those usually means smaller family owned places.
I don’t remember where I ate specifically but all was wonderful, most of the times we took a turn to a smaller street and found more “neighbourly places”.
Enjoy your vacation!
Eva – I never thought I would ever finish grad school. It seemed so far away and so conceptual, almost. Like, in theory people finished, but I really didn’t see how. It happens though. It swoops in and it happens. All my fingers and toes are crossed for your defense, though I am sure you don’t need the luck. You will be great!
Steffi – Thanks for the good luck wishes. Oh how I need the luck, if you only knew.
Matt – All the thanks go to you! Thanks for letting me crash your party for a little while. I had such a blast and learned more than I thought my head could hold. It was truly great. I am going to miss the editorial meetings!
Heather – I am with you. I feel like I blinked, and six months went by. It’s insane. I feel like time keeps speeding up. I have no idea what I am going to be doing in the next months, but yes, I know what I like and what I don’t. Hopefully, I can use that knowledge to find something that fits.
Åsa – I have a plan for eating in Rome – gelato for breakfast, wine and pizza for lunch, more gelato, more wine, and osso bucco for dinner (maybe even in that order). That’s what will make me happy. I can’t wait.
I think it’s very brave to try the road less travelled, Anna, after acquiring a science PhD. You seem to have been very productive and diversified in your pursuits at NPG.
Never been to Rome (nor to anywhere in Italy for that matter), so can’t help you with that, but best wishes for your next career adventure!
I’ll try not to get too sappy online here, but we’ll miss you! I’ll reiterate what Matt said. A lot of the cool and fun things we did this year on NN, we couldn’t have done without you! Glad that you were able to try out lots of different things at Nature.
Have a great time in Rome, and good luck with that big birthday!
Don’t worry, Anna, NPG is like Hotel California. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
It’s true! I was an intern back in 2001. It took me four years, but I managed to find my back in! :)
Enjoy yourself in Rome! You deserve it.
I guess Massimo can help you finding all the good places.
gelato for breakfast, wine and pizza for lunch, more gelato, more wine, and osso bucco for dinner (maybe even in that order). That’s what will make me happy.
kick the people lying down…. That food intake would make me happy too :) Maybe something I’ll do without Rome and only having holiday vacation … hm, that’s an idea.
Good for you Anna. Enjoy a period of future uncertainty – makes life interesting. (And thanks again.)
Wow! Good luck Anna. please stay in touch with all of us!!
Bx
Thet title of a post on another blog reminded me of this post on your blog. Did you get back safely from Rome or have you been run over by a crazy Italian driver?
Yes, Anna, send us a letter
Whatever happened to that fuzzy blue sweater?
Am still alive! Thanks so much for checking in. I went offline for three weeks and have been slowly moving back toward NN and the interweb. It was a wonderful, restful, and restorative three weeks, but it’s time to come back. So here I am.