By the time you read this, I will be settling into my new geology postdoc position in Johannesburg. As I write, I'm still having trouble believing that my big move is actually happening. My visa is stuck in my passport, the flights are booked, and my life is slowly being squashed into as few boxes as possible. Yet part of me still doesn't believe that any of it is really happening; probably the same part of me that is still a little intimidated by it all.
We're told that expanding one's research horizons is an essential part of developing as a scientist. If you want to enjoy use of the best labs, and work with the best groups, you often have to look abroad for your new perspective.
Yet, another consideration for us geologists is getting access to that critical outcrop, where the rocks are of the right age and composition to record clues about our planet's past tectonic and climatic history. I spent my PhD in Southampton, on the south coast of England, suffering the consequences of my field area being located in the opposite hemisphere from my lab.
For my new project, if I need to collect more samples, or check some observations, I'll only have to endure a few hours' drive rather than a long-haul flight. For that, if nothing else, it's well worth overcoming a little trepidation about making a big change.