But Then Again...

One of the best things about grad school is that it keeps me in close contact with people my age--and pits us against an antagonist. The result? Friends!

I was worried, honestly, about returning to the lab. Since I started there so long ago, all of my friends from the lab had graduated and gone on to other jobs. I knew almost noone there--and I was worried that I wouldn't make any friends. That my job would be miserable without people to laugh and talk smack with me.

I shouldn't have worried--quickly, I made new friends. Fast friends. Awesome friends. And it didn't stop with my lab--I made new friends in classes, and our Tuesday Night Trivia Team just keeps getting bigger.

Today, I was talking to Peter, who is the new tech in one of the labs that shares our work space. He was around a few summers ago, so I was familiar with him. He formally introduced himself soon after getting here, and we've talked for at least a few minutes each day. He had apparently heard some of us discussing our weekend plans, because he slipped in, "You know, I've never seen Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"Oh, neither have I!" I exclaimed. "We're going this weekend--you and your wife should totally come!"

He laughed and said he would have, but he's having family in town. I told him that it's a monthly event, and that we'll surely be going next month. And I think we'll be inviting him in the future to come to trivia.

I know it's scary to move to a new place, and it's scary to leave a situation with such good friends and to enter into a new one. But, the lab makes it so much easier--the close contact will either break you [which it has, with relations with some people] or draw you in.

Usually, thankfully, more of the latter.