Can you be nostalgic if you haven't really left yet?

Survived the paper. I think the session went well; there was a decent crowd and some interesting discussion, and people said nice things about my paper.

It's also been fun running into people I know.

But I have to confess that being here is making me sad about changing careers. I like giving papers; I like hearing papers; I like the discussion afterwards. I even like hating, or disdaining, certain papers and certain discussions. This is the part I'm going to miss.

Comments

[K]

Awww. I'm glad the paper went well, and I'm sad because I'll never get to play "Guess who is New Kid?" or meet you at a blogger meet-up when I finally go to K'zoo. (I was supposed to go last year but had a conflict, dammit.)

Anyway, have a great time, and remember that you can always keep a hand in as an independent scholar, whenever you have the time again!

[Notorious Ph.D]

Today at dinner (here in k'zoo) I ran into someone who was an undergraduate at my grad institution during my first couple of years there. He's an IT professional now, and has been for over ten years, but he still goes to Kalamazoo every year.

[Rokeya]

It's totally understandable that you're feeling this way. And as the others said, if you want, you can keep coming to this conference if you like in the future.

I hope you have a wonderful time at the rest of the conference (assuming it's not over--I'm totally ignorant of this particular one).

[medieval woman]

I will miss seeing you too! I wish I'd been able to go this year, but I can do only 2 conferences a year and still keep my sanity - we'll miss you!

I'm glad your paper went well!

[Lisa Spangenberg]

Hey, I am not in any way, shape or form working in academe--I work in IT--but by golly I'm still a scholar and present at academic conferences.

C'mon, it'll be fun. Come next year!