As I got closer and closer to the date of the defence of my PhD thesis, the tension and anxiety began to mount. I wasn't tense about my viva- I was fairly certain I would ace it. Instead, I was tense and anxious about my life after the PhD. When I started the PhD I had had a very clear goal in mind- I wanted to be a Professor. But 4 years later, as I got ready to receive my degree, I had no job offers in hand and absolutely no contingency plan. In short, I was staring at a sure-fire 6 months of unemployment with absolutely no parental support to count on.
The date of my viva drew closer and passed. As I got home from the viva I had a strong sense of achievement and success but an even stronger feeling of dread. With nothing else to do, no one to celebrate with and my anxiety about my future off the charts, I called it an early night and slept well into the morning.
I got up feeling groggy and cranky the next day. Walking around my kitchen like a caffeine-deprived zombie, I made myself a strong milky cup of coffee. I moved my two-seater dining table close to the window and fired up my laptop to check my email. This was my usual morning routine- a cup of coffee by the window with either a nice sitcom playing in the background or my emails. As I scrolled through my emails, most of them were either the usual Facebook and Twitter notifications and spam from Amazon. But right at the bottom of this pile of useless, unsolicited bullshit was my future. It was an email from Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, Ireland and its title indicated that it was in reply to my application for a postdoctoral position there.
My heart was racing as I opened that email and speed-read it. My eyes looked for the usual words all the other emails had contained: "thank you for applying", "we regret to inform you", "due to a high number of applicants". But this email contained none of that crap. Instead the email actually went on to state that they'd been impressed by my application and CV and wanted me to come to Cork next week to begin my orientation. Staring at the screen in disbelief, I read the email again and again and again, almost committing it to memory. I almost couldn't believe it- I'd finally scored my way to that holiest of holy grails: a career in research. I immediately called my mother and gave her the news. She was overjoyed too but a little sad that I wouldn't be coming home for a few months. After I got off the phone with her, I booked myself a train ticket to Cork and hopped down to my landlord to tell him that I'd be vacating my apartment next week.
The rest of my week passed by in a blur of packing and goodbyes. As the morning of my departure dawned I was itching to get going. I left my house at 9am and by 2pm I was sitting down for a restful lunch in a nice Café on St Patrick's Street- the most happening and vibrant street of Cork city. Blackrock Castle is located a little way out of the city and as I left the café, I asked them for directions to Blackrock. I reached Blackrock Castle around 4pm with my bags and baggage.
Summer had well and truly commenced, as the sun was still way above the horizon, when I entered the castle and made my way to the reception desk. Alex, the receptionist, greeted me warmly, "Dr Smith, it's so nice to finally meet you. We've been expecting you all day". I smiled and said, "I hope I am worth the wait!" Alex laughed and quickly called for Dr Julia Woods. "Julia will be your team leader," he explained. As we waited for Julia, I said, "Alex, where will the research centre be putting me up? I was told I'd be informed about that once I get here..."
"Oh, right, about that..." There was a touch of hesitation in his voice as he continued, "You see, we weren't actually able to find you accommodation," he said apologetically. As he saw my expression change, he quickly added, "But we made alternative arrangements for you with a colleague. You see the Cork Jazz Festival is on this weekend so all the hostels and hotels are completely booked."
"Oh that's understandable..." I said in a deflated tone. "Who am I crashing with? Julia?"
"Oh no no no, not Julia! No one would dare to suggest that," he replied with a chuckle and then dropped his voice to a whisper, "You see she's a bit of a bitch... She hates to share." Now it was my turn to laugh. There's always something enjoyable about bitching about your seniors behind their backs.
"So who is it then?" I asked, genuinely curious now.
"You'll be staying with Giada. She's a very sweet Italian girl. The two of you will be-" Alex was interrupted by a booming cry of "Dr Smith!" I turned around and found myself face to face with a smiling blonde, middle-aged woman. She held out her hand to me confidently. I shook her hand nervously and half-asked, half-said, "Dr Woods?" She nodded enthusiastically at that and gave my hand a good shake. "Call me Julia, please. You've been assigned to my team," she said.
"Yes, Alex just told me. I'm really looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise, Jon. I've heard great things about you from Humphrey. He seemed to be highly impressed by your PhD project." Dr Humphrey Maguire was the person who had interviewed me.
"I'm glad to hear that," I responded in a quiet tone that almost implied disbelief. Humphrey had all but ripped apart my thesis in the telephonic interview. Praise from him felt like snow in a dessert.
"Has Alex found you a place to stay?" she asked me as her gaze fell on my bags. She then looked at Alex as she waited for an answer.
"He has" I put in quickly just as Alex said, "Giada has volunteered to host him." Julia raised an eyebrow at that. "That's very kind of her," she said, sounding almost incredulous at the suggestion that a human being help another human being.
"Have you been introduced to her?" She turned her hawkish gaze back at me.
"No not yet" I said looking first at her and then at Alex.
"I'll just give her a call" Alex said, and pulled his phone out of his pocket and began to dial her number. He spoke on the phone in a low voice as Julia and I both watched him carefully. "She's just coming," Alex explained.
"Alex, do we have Jon's employee card ready?" Julia asks Alex.
"I think we should. You sent us a digital scan of your passport photograph didn't you?" Alex asked me as he started to rummage through one of his drawers
"Yes, I did" I confirmed.
"Then it should be here... Hang on, give me a second" Alex said absentmindedly as he continued to look for my employee id.
