A few words on Life Balance.

After all, it IS the blog title!

As many of you know, I recently made a major move. Not only did I move 500 miles to a new city/state, but I also took a new more demanding job. All of these things are hopefully bringing me closer to my ultimate life goals. Life balance has been very difficult.

As a graduate student, I was taught that work came before all else. You don't get a PhD by pulling 9-5 shifts and not working weekends. As a matter of a fact, my mentor once told me:
"If you want to see your husband any time soon, bring TWO cots to lab." As you can see, the "culture" was that whomever works longest and hardest is bestest.

This culture was definitely alive and well during my postdoctoral fellowship. Before I got pregnant, I worked 60+ hour weeks as routine. That certainly didn't last while I was nauseous and exhausted through my entire pregnancy!! I started working more like 50 hour weeks with lots of work from home. Of course, once I had my daughter I realized that work is NOT the most important thing in life. Everything had changed. I wanted OUT of this culture that encouraged people to spend as much time as possible AWAY from their families. Don't get me started on how screwed up Academia is for faculty/postdocs/students!!

I switched to a Biotech company where I am definitely expected to get the job done - I have way more responsibility than I ever have before - but in a reasonable amount of time. No one encourages me to work 60+ hrs a week, in fact, they discourage it because you are more apt to make mistakes and waste time and reagents (AMEN!).

I tell you all of this because I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting!! I still wake up worrying about getting things done at work and I have a tendency to stay too long at work "just trying to finish up one more thing." Friends in the field say it will take YEARS to erase the academic brainwashing. Sigh.

This is why I have not been a great OAWCer since I've moved. I am having trouble with Life Balance.

But since that is what this blog is about, it is time to put my LIFE before my JOB and get in the gear once again. I want to be that mom who always has healthy dinners planned for her family, not that mom who breezes in 2 hours late with takeout every night.

Bear with me, faithful readers, the first few weeks may be rocky!! Leave me comments please, that would be encouraging and helpful. If I know you're ready to get recipe ideas, I will be more likely to post!

Thank you!! I really like the idea of this blog and need to keep it going!