I was in DC a couple of weekends ago (the 12th-15th) for the annual Society for Neuroscience conference. This is a mammoth affair. Some estimates put the influx of neuroscientists around 30-40,000 people. This is a lot of people, particularly when everyone goes to lunch at the same time. Needless to say, it's almost impossible to get a quick bite within a 5-mile radius of the Washington Convention Center when this thing is going on. But overall, what I saw of the conference was good. For the most part, I was seeing old friends and colleagues, catching up and generally just enjoying people who I used to see more of. I stayed at the Churchill Hotel on Connecticut Ave in Dupont. Shmansy, I must say. I certainly wouldn't have been able to stay there if it were on my dime. But I did. I roomed with Tal, and David stayed with us. I liked staying close to Dupont, but didn't relish the walk up Connecticut every night.
During the four days, I ate well. I can't remember all the places, but one highlight was a Latin-Asian fusion place where I had Ahi tuna and wasabi mash with David and Sara. I also like breakfast at Luna, and this time was no exception. I met Aaron there my final morning.
Coffee was plentiful. I think I was constantly holding one. Went to some bars the first night with Larry, Josh, Laura, and David, and ended the night at Chi Cha Lounge. Played some shuffle board at Buffalo Billiards. The only exception to the "eating well" theme was at an NIMH post-doc recruitment event at a tapas place near the convention center. I think the extent of the food I ate there were a few olives and a roll. Big clunker there.
It's funny, coming back to a place (Oberlin, Boston, DC) is never quite the same as it was when I lived there. There's just something you get from living there for a long period of time that you can't possibly recapture in a visit of a few days or a week.
Another thing I realized: it's often the people, and not the place, that you remember most. So while I did want to go and see some of the old hangouts, I also just wanted to reunite with some of the people that made the place great. I also realized that I had somehow managed to gather folks from my four 'spots' from the last 10 years of my life (Mass, Oberlin, DC, St. Louis)* into one spot. And sometimes I'd be introducing people and realize that it was a little crazy that they were coming together this way. Most of the time, I was just confused as to who had met who. But altogether, it was great to bring it all together for myself for this one weekend.
Thus concludes a LONG overdue post about my little journey to the District.
*[Interesting side note: if you connect the dots, going from Boston to Oberlin to DC to St. Louis, continuing the pattern I should end up somewhere in Georgia or Northern Florida for my next stop]
