This week I had to return briefly to the USA – 2 of my students successfully defended their doctoral dissertations – a very important occasion for them & for me as the Chair of their respective Dissertation Committees. It is also a testament to the wonders of modern technology – our regular Skype meetings in the lead up to the defenses made the long distance across the Atlantic almost non-existent. The scientific world will have two newly minted PhDs in cognitive science & social neuroscience! But those events, although very positive ones, are not the subject of this post.
It seems to me that right now I am living in 2 very wonderful realities – my Paris one & my Indiana one. There are some interesting bridges between the 2 realities. Here is one of them: a great espresso!
With respect to my Indiana reality, obviously I have sorely missed my significant other & the cats [a.k.a. the editorial assistants]. So there was a lot of cat-ching up to do 🙂
But I also realized how much I missed the faculty & staff at IU in the USA when I was back at work for the week – it was great to see everyone & catch up with so many people. Indeed, it was hard to get work done with constant knocks on the door & people coming in to my office to say hello. I also got a kick out of the double looks I got when walking in the corridors of our building – clearly I was an unexpected sight! I also tried to check in at some of my local haunts in B’town [FARMbloomington; Feast Cellar & Market; C3] to connect with special people there also.
In one relatively quick moment I was in my Parisian reality & the next day in my Indiana one – indeed my last post was sent from Chicago O’Hare while I was waiting for a delayed flight home after my significant other had joined me in Paris for Spring Break.
The funny thing is that now I was back in the USA, I also started thinking about missing people in my neighborhood in Paris & my colleagues at work there. The sensation was augmented by the continuing emails crossing the Atlantic related to the research project we are doing together. It is a strange feeling – being ecstatic to see people that I have not seen for a few months [in one reality], but also thinking about people close to me in the other reality.
There is another bridge linking my two worlds right now: Late season snow! It snowed in Paris as we flew out & it has been snowing in B’town this week – happily this spring snow will quickly melt because it is not that cold outside. Our garden looked like a winter wonderland – I have to say I do like the snow: it covers the ugly brown deadness of everything in the yard right now. There is nothing really green in it yet – grass is brown, all the plants are dormant, although our first daffodil has just come out!
So it snowed Tuesday/Wednesday in B’town & Indianapolis. Today – Saturday we are having snow/sleet/hail/rain – yuk! Am going to take myself off to the YMCA to use the indoor track today… Thursday was a gorgeous, bright sunny day – a perfect window of opportunity to get the snow tires removed off my car! So it will be waiting for me with summer in mind when I drive it on my return after completing my sabbatical :).
Let’s hope that spring is just around the corner – just like in this image of the first crocus in the garden from a few springs ago…
… and so back to the other side of the Atlantic I go. The next post you will read will come from Paris.
neurowanderer.blog 
Thank you for an interesting and insightful posting.
I could see shades of comparison between your two worlds and mine and relate to your feelings about the people left behind in each city. I have, after a quarter of a decade, moved from my wilderness cabin to civilization and the people encountered are as different as the fire and ice extreme environments at each location.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome! Sounds like you have some excellent stories yourself to distill about this topic also!
LikeLike