After a year and two months at SIB, I finally got to meet my coworkers and it was awesome. I'm exhausted today, but yesterday I was up at 4:30am, on the 6:08 train, and at the office at 8:30. I'd never been to the office either, and it's a really nice building! After working all day, the nine of us in my department went to dinner at 6pm and had a great time, especially since it was the first time since the pandemic that all of them have seen each other in person as well. Then it was back to Penn Station, a 45 minute delay before my train left because NJ Transit SUCKS, and I was home by 1:30am. 

Two major takeaways: 1. I love that our department gets along so well and that everyone truly seems to like the others. The next newest researcher has been at SIB 13 years, so it's a stable group of decent people, which bodes well for a long career there. 2. There's no way in hell I could do this commute on a daily basis. As great as it was to be on the subway again, moving through the NYC streets, working in an office, and naturally getting exercise again, it's just too damn far. When I commuted there last time from here I was 24. My body at 44 has zero chance of being able to do that now - and luckily I don't think I'll be asked to do so.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day but today I did the basics of cleaning and then it's back to status quo. I'm proud of myself for passing with flying colors at being a regular worker again, even for a day, and that I can be myself and succeed at socialization lol.