I'm writing this from the (relative) comfort of my flight to Chicago. My flights so far have gone relatively well, although the first one was delayed and threatened to make me miss this connection -- but fear not, that one, too was behind schedule, so all is well. Now assuming my luggage makes it to Chicago (if not right away, at least within the 17 or so hours I'll be spending there), I should be fine. Getting to BART and the airport was uneventful, and the airport was rather shockingly uncrowded, even for Oakland.
Note to self (and others): US Airways is pretty lame. They've so far succeeded at the most basic things an airline can be expected to do (e.g., flying planes), but have a penchant for charging for anything beyond that, like peanuts or whatever their $5 (!) snack package contained. No free peanuts or anything, just beverages. Also, a single checked bag costs an additional $15 (plus ungodly high fees if you're over 50lbs, I'm sure, though mine wasn't). These may be relatively common practices these days, but as I tend to fly airlines that are often both cheaper and more pleasant (such as Southwest) I haven't experienced them before.
Anyway, I don't fly a ton, but enough that these domestic flights still haven't quite evoked the full sense of what I'm getting myself into. So far it just feels like going across the country, which, for the moment, is what it is. I've got a lengthy layover in Chicago, though, and will start earnestly analyzing a large volume of call log data, which is an important part of my job once I get there and will probably help get me into it.
I am a bit sad to be leaving Berkeley so suddenly, although it's not as though I won't be back, at least for a bit, in the fall. Still, it's probably just as well. Being around for classes starting (and especially the new band season starting) and not being a part of it would probably be worse. This way, I get a break from it to sort myself out and convince myself I don't still go to school there.
On that note, last night I saw one of my roommates from my first year for what will probably be the last time in quite a while, as he's going to Ecuador in the fall semi-indefinitely. Still, earlier in the weekend both of us and our third roommate from that first semester got together, and it brought everything satisfyingly full-circle. I know all of this isn't very relevant, but it's been on my mind, and I figured I'd mention it. I suppose I just have a hard time with transitions like the big out-of-college one. Well, leaving the country for a few months seems like just the ticket, especially when it's so exactly the kind of work I want to do, and rather fortuitously closely related to the academic work I've already done.
I suppose that about wraps up my thoughts about the beginning of my trip for the moment. I'll probably have something to say about the data I'll be analyzing later, and can post some of my actual job description for those who'd like to know in detail what it is I'll actually be doing.
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I see the sudden departure as both a blessing and sad. In a way, it's nice to have that "break away" from life here to convince yourself you aren't a student, but for the rest of us, we have to adjust to not having someone we're used to seeing on an almost daily basis. I think it'll ultimately be good though and I can't wait for your return.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you need some statistical software to manipulate your data, might I suggest JMP or SAS? I'd stay away from Stata though, I don't know anything about it.