should I stay or should I go

Nature Jobs, the career guide section of Nature, arguably the most prestigious scientific journal, posed a dilemma this morning, very pertinent to my current situation. Before doing anything else in the lab I had to read the article, as I am really in the same predicament. Should I stay or should I go? My boss thinks one way and I the other, but I have no good arguments to back up my case.

The article points out some of the things to consider when attempting a career change or simply trying to further one's career. Networking, talking to people in different fields, finding passion, testing the waters before making the jump. Five or six scientists by training are presented. None of them adhered to career path orthodoxy, and almost all work in jobs that they didn't go to graduate school for.

Doing something else has been tempting me for a while now, though I have no idea what this else would be. I'm trying to find my talents and interests by doing a course in patent law and developing my writing skills. You are the victims and the judge.

Maybe I don't have to look far. For a week now, my enthusiasm for science has been inexplicably rekindled. There has been no identifiable trigger for this, no dramatic break-through in my projects. Hell, there are hardly any positive developments. And yet, I find myself in lab at ungodly hours, working happily and almost as hard as in graduate school. This means being pretty much alone in lab after most people leave around five. It's not motivating, and I don't know for how long my spirits will hold. But they're flying high right now.

High enough that I almost lost touch with reality today. This afternoon, I sat down at my bench with a fully charged miniPod in my pocket, ready to set up hours of crystal trays. Before getting into the zone, I was lucky to remember salsa night. My dancing partner is back after a lengthy absence. And while I will spin her around on the dance floor, a question will spin in my head. Should I stay or should I go?