Poster

My poster session went pretty well, I think.  As usual, I didn't take it as seriously as maybe I should have, but me joking around and being all weird is my way of coping with any anxiety and stuff.  The other two guys were more professional, but we all got along.  They liked my dancing, which I did when there was no one there looking at my stuff for me to explain to.  One was from Germany, and the other was from Canada, so we were all from different places and got to swap stories.  Actually, although we were all in the same group, the way the posters were set up was weird, and I was originally not in the same area as them.  However, I guess they realized and walked to me and asked me about my stuff and asked if I wanted to take the empty space by them since the third person didn't show up.  Since I was alone, and knowing I had to mingle, I said yes, and it was a good choice.  The Canadian was very starstruck when I told  him one of my profs, who is a big name in his field.  So I told him stories which he enjoyed.

After, I just went to the lobbyish area (ish because I'm pretty sure it is not the lobby but it is close I think?), and was looking through the program, and a 5th year from MIT asked to sit and we started talking a bit too.  He gave me some advice on publishing and navigating the conference, which was really appreciated.

Went to a panel on American Foreign Policy in Congressional Politics, and afterward I went to one of the panelists and asked a question to him (after I asked if I could, of course) and we talked about it for a little bit and he said it was a really good point and he'll have to think more about that and it made me happy.  Then he looked at my nametag and informed me, after realizing I went to Binghamton, that he had worked at Binghamton (attended?  I couldn't really get which he meant, honestly), and so we started talking about people there and who my advisor might be and all that stuff.  I told him about my possible dissertation idea, and he seemed to be interested in it.

It was nice to chat with people, I guess.  Even if it was a bit nervewracking at times.

But I got my networking in for the day, methinks.

Oh, I did also try to go to a panel on Obama's foreign policy positions/policies, but by the time I got there, it had already started and I couldn't get the door open (I don't know if it was stuck or if it was locked), so my anxiety kind of told me to just forget it because I didn't want to be that guy coming in late and making a bunch of noise.  So I just went back to hotel.

Now I'm telling myself I should do work, even though I still have zero motivation to do it.

Also, I ate healthy stuff for lunch.  Oh my god.