A guide for the thrill-seeking toddler.

Required materials:

Our friends Chris and Sinead welcomed their little boy into the world today! Drop by Chris’ Web site to see the little cuteness and congratulate them.

I am leaving the bench.

As of October 1st, I will no longer be a post-doc, academic, lab rat, etc. I will be a [job title] for [CorporationInc.]

I am leaving the world of tattered jeans and flip-flops (which as far as OSHA is concerned I never wore in lab) and I’m heading for the office. Golf shirts and Khakis. Belts and shoes that match. Blackberries. Clip-on cell phones. Headsets. Breakrooms and Folgers from a machine. Carpooling.

And the truth is, I couldn’t be happier.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have definitely thought a couple times about leaving this comfort zone in academics. This insulated environment. This fraternity of higher education. But truthfully, the choice was easy. And it’s not like I’m selling my soul. Check under the hood and you’ll still find the same Rockford. I’ll still be wearing my Simples (because they go with almost anything!) and listening to Neil Young. I’ll still think about my favorite snack cakes and ponder the fate of the Dillon Panthers.

It’s just time for a change, a shake-up in the order. I have been unhappy at the bench for a long time and this is my new chance. My opportunity to do something with my education that I thought was impossible.

Now I’ll be taking all that bench experience and using it to help other people. I like the sound of that.

So here goes. I’m taking a leap into the unknown. I’m stepping out on faith. It’s exciting and a little scary but I have this feeling that this is good, that this is right. That this is what we need.

So next week we head to a new place and a new job. This little family is set on a new adventure.

I can’t wait.