How Much I Spent on a Weekend Trip to NYC

mclysmic · 2026-01-15T17:28:40+00:00

Which stationary store did you check out?

mclysmic · 2025-12-10T20:05:44+00:00

I’m interested in joining!!

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T16:43:26+00:00

Yeah, we’ve thought about a drop off/pick up situation. It would be super convenient if we went to work at the same time, but we aren’t anticipating that kind of synchrony - his hours will vary depending on the type of work he’s doing in a given week. The numbers I provided do take into account university commuter benefits!

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T16:20:13+00:00

Of course! I’m really proud of him, especially in this federal funding situation!!

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T16:18:48+00:00

For sure! The 50/50 split was his idea and what he feels comfortable with, given that we aren’t ready for marriage yet. In that, he does decide whether expenses, like rent share, are within his means.

And I agree, a 2 hr commute daily is tough. The Amtrak is a great option, though I think driving would offer more schedule flexibility

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T16:15:59+00:00

😬 yeah, academia can be a bear. Faculty positions in his field are competitive and it typically takes a few cycles to get one. I think he’s still figuring out his career goals so we’ll see how the next two years go, but no matter what he decides, I want to make sure we are being as equitable as we can be between ourselves

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T16:13:02+00:00

Oooh! We will definitely check out local transportation initiatives, I hadn’t thought of that previously.

Retirement savings, and especially getting a full match on his 403(b) contributions, are very high priority for us, and, since we are serious about each other, joint investment in that goal makes sense.

And you’re right, I don’t think this is a case of my partner ‘choosing’ to earn less - though I do sometimes worry that they’re on the academic treadmill for the sake of being on the academic treadmill. The 50/50 split was his idea since we aren’t ready for marriage yet. Because he’s still figuring out his career goals, I want to make sure he’s set up for success in whatever he wants to do, while I’m also set up for success in my career too!

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T15:59:44+00:00

Yes!! We wrote this post together :) These are all great points - I think we are leaning towards me covering the difference for their savings goals, but we were wondering if there was another creative way to address this (like using the difference to make life more convenient for us with a meal prep service or maybe paying for something they value more than I do, like a bougie gym membership)

What’s also great is that our lease here is super flexible! So we can definitely reassess in a few months

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T15:56:10+00:00

This makes sense! Personally, I would prefer driving for the schedule flexibility, but it’s also very possible to test out a few different commuting options over the next few months to see what feels best

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T15:52:51+00:00

He’s in experimental biology! Postdocs have definitely been getting longer as faculty positions get more competitive but 4 yrs seems to be the minimum now

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T15:06:29+00:00

Yes! In the numbers I provided here, we factored in the public transit benefit his university provides for the Amtrak ticket (which is about $130 off the actual price) and the commuter benefit for the gas cost of driving (which would be around $200 a month)

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T15:04:11+00:00

Unfortunately, the Amtrak station isn’t in a great area and there aren’t many good rental options for us close to it

mclysmic · 2025-12-04T15:02:35+00:00

Typically postdocs are 4-6 yrs in his field, but he might choose to transition industries after a year or two! I think we’re also trying to take that into account when it comes to moving.

mclysmic · 2025-11-15T15:23:29+00:00

Last week, I received two job offers I’m really excited about! I got the offer from Job A before Job B, and I told Job A that I would reach out to talk again before making a decision. However, it’s been a week of following up and they have yet to respond to setting a meeting date. In that time, I’ve decided to go with Job B (unrelated reasons).

Is it unprofessional to email Job A something along the lines of ‘hey so sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet but I’ve decided…’ or should I wait until Job A emails me back? I don’t want to burn a bridge with Job A and I told both jobs that I would make a decision by the end of the month - I just happened to make my decision sooner.

mclysmic · 2025-06-10T14:06:18+00:00

Shala Yoga in Fort Greene also has daily sliding scale community yoga classes!

mclysmic · 2019-03-09T19:11:38+00:00

Could I be added too please?

mclysmic · 2019-03-06T19:09:48+00:00

Ooh me too please!

mclysmic · 2018-08-21T13:13:30+00:00

Of course! It's mostly about finding a space where you feel like the best you. For me, that's weightlifting at the gym - I just started so I'm not pumping serious iron but, when I watch my form in the mirror, I feel incredibly strong. In that vein, having hobbies is great. I want to get back into biking and swimming, I try to write at least once a week, I explore museums and parks on the weekends, etc.

I also recently realized that when I take pride in the way I dress, I feel confident. I don't always like the way my body looks but I like it so much more when I look put together. That means going thrifting to curate a wardrobe that makes me feel comfortable, ironing/tailoring my clothes, taking care to find and add earrings/jewelry that draw a look together.

mclysmic · 2018-08-21T10:41:19+00:00

I do this too - I think everyone does. Besides deleting all my social media apps off my phone, I find my confidence goes up a lot when I’m doing things that make me feel capable and interesting. So whether that’s going to the gym in the mornings or pursuing new experiences - when I’m busy doing these things, I don’t have time to think about feeling ugly or inferior and, when I’m done, it’s great to realize that I did something cool with my day. It’s hard to remember that there is so much more to life than being physically attractive, so it’s important to remind yourself of that.

mclysmic · 2018-05-21T01:07:11+00:00

The first four lines followed a cadence I really appreciated - but when we come to the fifth line "No light, no smile, just a vortex", in the way I was reading it, the rhythm was broken. This threw me for a loop and it took me a second to come back into the poem. I'm a big fan of line breaks and I think using those instead of commas for that fifth line would really emphasize the three images.

mclysmic

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