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One thing that has kept me from ever returning to MIT (where I did my PhD) is that I don't think I could bear the feeling of loss that I am sure would overwhelm

One thing that has kept me from ever returning to MIT (where I did my PhD) is that I don't think I could bear the feeling of loss that I am sure would overwhelm me when confronted with the sights and smells and memories of that period of my life that I can never go back to live again. I have lived in quite a few different places during my life, and have pleasant memories from all of them, but my time at MIT feels completely different - it's not just memories, but it feels much more personal, as if it's not just a place but represents who I really am. I have often wondered whether everyone feels like that about their PhD years, but your comments seems to suggest that it is not universal.

xdavidliu 3y ago
I also went to MIT for a PhD: 2009-2015. Definitely around 2012ish was the most memorable: in particular the simple stuff like walking down mass ave from central every morning, stopping by Flour bakery for an oatmeal + egg sandwich, going to LaVerdes for snacks, Anna's for burritos. Staying in office til 10pm messing around with research, then taking no 1 bus (or often red line from kendall) back to central, rinse and repeat. That IAP of Jan 2012 was really nice too, was able to dabble a bunch in really interesting stuff like painting classes and such.