update on my life situation - moving to boston

I am leaving for boston in a week! I'm starting a phd program at MIT in computer science. I'm going on leave from work for a few months, but I plan on being back full time over the summer. I'm going to start in the PDOS group. I was accepted for Fall of 2007 but I deferred for a semester, if you're wondering why I'm starting in January.

I don't really see this as a big move, as I will still keep most of my stuff here in SF and come back to visit frequently. I'm excited about doing something new and exercising my brain in different ways. I'm sort of freakishly paranoid about losing connections between neurons. My father so conveniently told me on my 25th birthday that this is the age at which you stop building new ones (your brain plateaus) but I think engaging in different kinds of strenuous mental activity can help combat that. I'm betting MIT will oblige.

I love working at Google and I'll miss it a lot, but I realized that 1) if I'm ever going to go back into research I had better get on it and 2) I really, really, really need to do something different. And change the ruts I've gotten stuck in with the way I think. I'm not sure how this will go (if I'll really be there for six years) but I think it'll be a great experience no matter what happens.

I'll miss everyone in SF very much! I'm scared of the cold! I'll be doing some kind of going away thing next weekend, and if you're ever in Cambridge send me an email. I think my first trip back is president's day weekend so if you're in town you should clear time in your busy schedule to see me.