My first foray into the blogsphere!

As promised, I'm keeping a blog to chart my experiences over the next few years- leaving Brisbane, moving to upstate New York and starting my PhD in plant physiology/ecology at Cornell University.

I'll be keeping friends/family up to date with my news and adventures adjusting to a new culture and very different life. No doubt there will be plenty of ranting as well, not to mention general bemoaning of the imperial measurement system...

I'm also keen to explore a few other issues I've been thinking about lately- the realities of women in science, the PhD process and the changing nature of science as a career. Basically, I've been reading too many internet columns doling out advice to grad students and I'm interested to see whether the reality is as terrifying and depressing as they generally make it out to be!