Introduction

Ok. Here is my first post.

First, a little bit about me. I am a grad student in astronomy about to begin my 6th(!) year. I am planning on this being my last. This means the next year will be full of thesis writing and job hunting stress. I can't wait!

Why am I starting a blog? In the last few months I have found many blogs online written by other female scientists. I have found them to be truly inspirational. There are days when I really wonder if I am up to pursuing academia, if I really have what it takes, if it's even something I want to do. On these days I read through the posts written by these other women, those who beat the odds, those who somehow manage to find a way to do it all, and I can't help but feel like maybe I can do it too. I feel like a silent member of a little community and it is wonderful. I have decided that I don't want to be silent anymore, that I also want to share my stories and my passion for science. And maybe there are others out there that will someday be inspired by something I have to say.

So for the moment, this will be a place to tell my story. My daily ups and downs, my thesis/paper writing fun, and of course, the all-important job hunt. Maybe there will eventually be a reader or two to follow along!