Research Overseas, a Nature Journal editorial
I left my native Australia nearly two years ago in a flurry of paperwork and last-minute packing. I tied up as many of the loose ends of my life as I could, put my finances in order and tried to work out what I could take with me without exceeding my baggage allowance. There seemed to be just enough time for tearful goodbyes at the airport before I was on my way to Germany.
This year, I returned to Sydney for a visit, courtesy of a conference that I was attending. It was an opportunity to present my postdoctoral work — and it was my first visit home.
Only a month before my trip, I had learned that my grandmother was ill. The high price of pursuing science overseas became all too clear: it is difficult to help and look after your family when you're half a world away. Worried, I had considered booking a flight to Sydney immediately, and pushing my trip forward by a month. The decision was not easy; there is no such thing as a quick dash home when the journey involves a 22-hour flight. If I had left then, half-done experiments would have gone to waste and my colleagues and students would have been inconvenienced, because I was in the middle of teaching a course. But after a few desperate calls to my parents, I learned that all was well — my grandmother was recovering.
I was extremely glad to see all my family when I landed in Sydney for the conference. My grandmother seemed to be in much better health. But the experience made me realize: although working overseas has many career benefits and has been a fantastic experience, the distance has significant drawbacks. I must try to put my experiments aside and take that 22-hour plane ride more often.
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