Iowa
Now that we've been in Iowa a few weeks, I figured I should post an update to let people know that I'm alive and well.
Things are going pretty well in Iowa. The new job is really exciting. I'm enjoying jumping back into research after a while of data analysis and writing for my thesis. I'm studying the effects of DNA methylation on caste determination (whether an individual is a queen or a worker) in paper wasps. Right now I'm working on preparations to measure levels of DNA methylation and expression in different genes, as well as working on RNAi to knock out certain genes.
As far as social things go, I've been meeting some interesting people. We've been going to the local LARP group and I've been trying out other campus clubs. I've connected with some people from okcupid, and overall been pretty happy with the local crowds. It feels a fair bit like my home town in Washington (a similarly sized college town) so I'm pretty comfortable with that.
I'll be in Bellingham very briefly for Seder (if you need a first night Seder, let me know), but I'm not sure when I'll next be in Washington state for longer than a long weekend. I'll be in Boston sometime this summer, probably around mid-July for something between a long-weekend and a week. I might be in Durham, North Carolina for two-weeks in August, so if anyone is within visiting distance and would want to visit me there, let me know.
If anyone wants to come out and visit here, or meet in Minneapolis (doable occasionally, not too often), let me know!
Things are going pretty well in Iowa. The new job is really exciting. I'm enjoying jumping back into research after a while of data analysis and writing for my thesis. I'm studying the effects of DNA methylation on caste determination (whether an individual is a queen or a worker) in paper wasps. Right now I'm working on preparations to measure levels of DNA methylation and expression in different genes, as well as working on RNAi to knock out certain genes.
As far as social things go, I've been meeting some interesting people. We've been going to the local LARP group and I've been trying out other campus clubs. I've connected with some people from okcupid, and overall been pretty happy with the local crowds. It feels a fair bit like my home town in Washington (a similarly sized college town) so I'm pretty comfortable with that.
I'll be in Bellingham very briefly for Seder (if you need a first night Seder, let me know), but I'm not sure when I'll next be in Washington state for longer than a long weekend. I'll be in Boston sometime this summer, probably around mid-July for something between a long-weekend and a week. I might be in Durham, North Carolina for two-weeks in August, so if anyone is within visiting distance and would want to visit me there, let me know.
If anyone wants to come out and visit here, or meet in Minneapolis (doable occasionally, not too often), let me know!