Maslow
I'm back at MSR for another summer! Between work, friends, and overall life, I'm incredibly content right now.
It is difficult for me to describe how much I enjoy MSR to people who are not into research. The high baseline level of knowledge and shared background makes it easy to communicate ideas, and it's great to be around people who actually like their job.
For example, recently, some of us interns got dinner together and left work "early" (aka on time for a regular job, around 5pm). After dinner, I was considering going home. However, another intern was going to go back to the office and asked if anyone was coming along, so we went back together and stayed until 9 or so.
And in general, I admire the people that I've met here. Many of them have spent decades in database research, and they still have it in them: their thinking is sharp, precise, and tuned towards identifying research problems that matter. I learn something new from most meetings; there is immense value in reflecting on the questions that they ask and the directions that they suggest.
This is the only work environment that has made me somewhat waver, as far as staying long-term in Brunei goes. If I am given the opportunity to make a significant impact on computing education and practice, and I do, then it is still likely that I would make my continued peace with staying in Brunei. But the potential for self-actualization here is incredibly tempting. Well, we will see.
Last summer, I was trying to balance phd work and summer work at the same time. Wake up, 6-8 phd, 9-7 work, 9-12 phd, sleep. It was exhausting, largely because I was struggling to get research wins in both. I eventually switched off the phd work to focus on summer work alone, but it left a lasting sense of burnout.
This summer, I'm just waiting for revision feedback that in theory comes today. (And my genuine gratitude to reviewer 3 for eliminating many insecurities, come whatever may of the overall paper's status-- but that's another topic for another day). So I go to work, focus for a few hours, have lunch, and then work until 6 (if I'm grabbing dinner with friends) or 8 (if I'm not). This still leaves a few hours of other random things when I get home, thanks to my current old age problem of waking up after 6 hours.
This is possibly the healthiest work-life balance that I've ever had.
Because I'm only working on work, I've found a lot more time to enjoy work and hang out with friends. Many old memories are resurfacing this summer. I've opened up to relatively few people in the US, and a majority of those people are here.
I had always thought that given the choice of any country in the world to live in, Singapore would win uncontested: many of my closest friends are there, there is reasonably good governance, the country appeals to me.
But I'm starting to realize that Seattle is a strong contender too. There is nothing quite like it for database-related work. There's city life in west and nature in the east. A good number of close friends are based nearby.
In another life, I could see myself happily living here. In any case, eight more weeks!