Hello World!
I love life, but what’s more – I’d love to share it with that special someone.
I’m probably one of the happiest people you’ll meet on this site. I feel so lucky every day to be doing what I’m doing. I walk to work with a spring in my step and click to my heels. In fact, I’ve been known to do a little dancing in lab with a successful experiment (That’s right, Nerd Alert! I’m a scientist).
Ok sorry for the overly peppy intro, but I just can’t help sharing my excitement. I've just moved to LA from the east coast and am loving it. Until recently, II was working on HIV vaccine at a big pharma company, but am switching careers to medicine. So this will be my first year of medical school. Yippee!
“Why the change?” you ask. Good question!
While I love tinkering with DNA and working to thwart the evil machinations of the viral world, my true joy is in helping people directly. . If I can make one other person happy that day, I feel successful and am satisfied. Even if they don’t like me, I enjoy making those around me feel good about themselves. If there was a mission statement to my life, it would be that. Kind of gooshy huh? Ok, I'll admit, it sounds sappy, but it's more complex than that (just as we all are). Everyone has their own moral compass and mine is focused on those close to me.
Now I know some folks might be put off by my choice to go back to school for training, but (and it’s a big but) I am extremely driven and ambitious. While I am a very caring and empathetic person, I am also very serious about my future and job. I act professional at work or at school and have a plan for my career and am quite capable of filial support if and when necessary. I am the type of chap who keeps a tidy room, does his taxes the first week available, is careful with his personal finances while generous to his loved ones, cooks for himself, and studies for fun (but don’t expect similar levels of tidiness or administration from my friends).
As career-driven and serious as I am professionally, personally I’m a big kid. I love kids in general and have been referred to as a “big goof ball”. I don’t judge people and feel at home in just about any social setting. I love to try new things and will always say “Yes!” to an offered situation. In the book “Bossypants,” Tina Fey says that the secret to great improv comedy is a willingness to say yes to another person’s ideas. I have that willingness in spades. I love adventures as well as time spent in.
Fitness is important to me. I love to keep fit in one form or another whether it’s running, squash, karate, hiking etc… Really anything active suits me fine.
As far as location, I’m from a bit of everywhere. I grew up in New England, then moved to Cambridge, UK for University. Next, it was Berkeley, CA for my PhD which was a long, hard road. Since then, I’ve been working in Boston on HIV vaccine.
If given the choice, I'm partial to weekend adventures (especially exploring new areas). I go on walks, hikes, road trips, and try strange restaurants as much as possible. But instead of what I'm doing, it's who I'm doing it with that's most important. An experience shared is the most rewarding adventure I can have, even if it's watching a loved one try out different outfits while shopping. While at home, I love to play boardgames with good friends. I find they’re a great way to occupy the mind during lulls in conversation, a kind of social lubrication for a great evening.
Communication and compromise are critical for any successful relationship. I am well aware that I won't always get my way, and never leave conflicts angry or unresolved. I like to talk problems out with people, and never hate those I love. There's far too much hate and anger in this world already. I realize nobody is perfect (especially myself) and it's not important to me that people change, just that they try to do the best job that they can in this life.
