Yesterday I went to a faculty talk that was part of the HALE speaker series. The talk was given by one of the professors in my department, Dr. Leslie Gonzales. What made the talk interesting was her topic, which was the presence and purpose of relationships in academic careers. Most of the research that Dr. Gonzales focuses on is faculty, and I really liked the idea of investigating relationships and friendships that faculty form. While talking with her afterwards, we discussed that this research project (from her experience) sometimes might feel bizarre to others, and I responded, "Yes, because we want to know 'friendships in academia' to what end." And she nodded, reiterating that right now she is discovering the value, or see above, the presence of relationships, not about what they "get us."
Since moving to Lansing, certainly I miss and long for my friends who live in Seattle. I miss having such close proximity and ease in catching up. I could so easily make a lunch date with my sister-in-law (we worked in the same building!) or walk down to a friend's house who lived in my neighborhood. For a time, one of my dearest friends lived just below me, and even when she moved into her house, it was still close. Being here makes it harder to keep in touch, although we all still do. Also being here, however, has given me new friendships, and with some women I feel already quite close. I'm not a particularly open person; and by open I mean sure I will share bits about my life but I don't often attempt to forge new friendships or get real close with people. Yet I have found some beautiful and wonderful friends here, and listening to Dr. Gonzales' talk about relationships in academia reminded me how thankful I am to have the girlfriends I do, both near and far.
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