2014 is officially the Year of the Dissertation; however, it could equally be the Year of Travels. There have been several years that could have also had this title, but so far 2014 is taking the cake! So far, I have been on three major trips this year with more than that looming on the horizon.
I have really come into my own in terms of conferences and networking, and I love the travel aspect as well. One of my goals for each trip is to take some time to go out exploring in the city. These have been some of my best memories from various trips I've taken.
Here is a recap of my NOLA trip from February!
Day 1: We drove! This was one of those, "let's save money and drive" trips. I was designated as the driver, which is an adventure in and of itself. It took us about 6 hours to make it through Texas to NOLA, but it was a simple and enjoyable drive. We got in around dinnertime, and met up with a group of friends. We grabbed some seafood and drinks, and had a nice, enjoyable time with good friends.
Day 2: Conference, Part 1. Today was devoted to being more responsible. I attended a workshop about causality testing, which sparked my interest in a new statistical topic. Then, I went to a few sessions by other graduate students, and had three of my own presentations (ironically, all three with co-authors). Monday evening, we enjoyed pizza and Italian food for dinner, and more jazzy music on Bourbon street!
Day 3: The most exciting day! I had another presentation this morning, then attended the banquet and awards ceremony for the conference. The food was delicious! It was my first time to try Gumbo, which I enjoyed, plus some yummy fish. Also, some papers I submitted to the conference ended up winning awards! How crazy! That night, a group of friends and I went to Bourbon street to celebrate a successful conference.
Day 4: Final day and traveling home! I had my last presentation on the final day of the conference, then we traveled back to Texas. I arrived home tired, excited, and humbled by all the goodness of the conference. I'm excited to return to NOLA and would love to spend a little more time city exploring there in the future!
