Words of wisdom from Onions past (a "going to college tips" special, to be precise): "If you're having trouble deciding between Yale and Princeton, cry me a fucking river, Fauntleroy." Words that have minimized the amount of complaining I've done lately about my current situation. Let me elaborate.

About a month ago, I was happily proceeding along at work here at CMIR, becoming involved in more and more projects and feeling really good about my place here. My advisor Ralph Weissleder laid out a plan for me to stick around after my postdoc ends next July, giving me a chance to create my own research program here and take up a leadership role. Sounds great to me. I'm essentially on my way to his office to accept his offer when lo, the phone rings. It's Art Boyer from Stanford, offering me the assistant professor job I applied for almost a year earlier.

Now I know what you're thinking: "Oh, whatever shall I do? Stay at Harvard, or go to Stanford? Fate, why do you curse me so?" (said in my best Thurston Howell III voice). But allow me to whine for a sec. The problem is that while both jobs offer great opportunities for me, neither is what I would call the "total package". Harvard has the edge in terms of cool research, but lacks the fiscal compensation (read: salary) and status that Stanford is offering. However, having spent 4 undergraduate and 2 graduate years living in Berkeley, I am not too enthused about joining the ranks of the hated Stanford Cardinal.

The Bay Area is ultimately what I would call my home. I love Boston and am in no hurry to get away from here, but I always thought that I would end up back in Californ-i-ay. But does that mean I need to jump at the first chance to go back? Probably not. But will an offer this good come along again? Dunno.

So that was the reason for my recent trip to the Bay, to get wooed by Stanford. And believe me, they did an awfully good job of wooing. Plus I got to hang with old friend Michael Shameless and knock back a multitude of free hard ice teas, stay with my parents, see my auntie, and spend a day at my old lab at UCSF and see all my friends there. All reasons to head back to California. Not to mention that it would make Veronica's year.

Verdict: it's better to have many options than none. But not much better.