Moving on from my first lab job

This week is the final week at my current job.  I had my going-away party yesterday, which was a lot of fun, and this Friday is my final day.

I've been training my replacement, but I know that there will be things she needs help with after I leave.  My boss is going on vacation for the month of August, so I've made it clear to my replacement that she's welcome to call or email me with any questions.  While I have been training her as best I can, it's really not possible for me to teach her every detail about the job in four weeks.

I guess I'm mostly nervous about leaving the lab, where I've been for two years, and where I've gotten almost all of my training.  I don't feel unprepared for graduate school, in terms of academics or lab work.  It's more that I feel unprepared for the bureaucracy of it.  I'm off to a mediocre start in that regard.

That is, I'm not sure exactly when I'm starting, or what I already should have signed up for.  I got my health history forms after my yearly physical, and I'm waiting on my doctor's office to fax the signed forms back.  I had a moment where I was significantly annoyed with the requirements; it said that I needed a vaccine that I had already gotten, but wouldn't let me waive it without actual reasons.  But then, thankfully, a friend of mine pointed out that the vaccine was only required for students living on campus or in university-owned housing.  I'm a grad student, suckers!

I'm also on the fence about purchasing a semester's worth of Charlie Cards from the school.  I have another few weeks to decide, and I probably will buy the semester pass.  I'm spoiled right now; my monthly pass is 45% off, and it's paid for pre-tax.  I will only get 11% off the semester pass, and it's not pre-tax.  It's quite disappointing.  I would just walk to campus, but I've enjoyed the security of taking the T whenever I feel like it, and it'll be tougher to walk to campus during the first month or so.  By the time I won't worry about walking to campus, it might be cold and snowy.  I might as well just accept that I'm going to be paying for it, but even so ...

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to this week ending.  Not because I hate my job; I'll definitely miss working here!  But at this point, it feels like there's very little left for me to do over the next three to four days.  Plus I have special rehearsals for an ensemble I play in once a year, on Thursday and Friday nights, on Saturday all day, and a concert on Sunday.  Not a restful weekend for someone who's going to have surgery in a week.  Since I'm just waiting for my surgery to be over with, it's hard for me to savor the rest of the week.

I won't forget my two years here, although this job hasn't always been easy or fun.  Hopefully, the lab I end up in will be just as unique, with equally interesting research, and equally interesting people.