So today was my last day for a while at the Climatic Research Unit at UEA. It feels strange, as normally in this kind of situation I'm leaving a place potentially forever, but on this occasion it's only for six months, and then I'm back again for at least another year and a third (depending on when I get the PhD finished!)

The intervening period, after the Christmas break in Geordieland, will be spent at the Met Office in Exeter. It will be quite a significant change in environment, so thoughts of both anticipation and apprehension reign. I have no regrets about choosing this tied studentship though- six months at the MetO will leave me with many important contacts and some good experience of working outside of the purely academic environment, plus as a meteorologist you can't really ask for a better company to provide this opportunity than the Met Office.

However, be warned that I will have to be, er, quite tight lipped about certain things as the security is very high, so I'm told, because of the MetO still being part of the Ministry of Defence. Certainly the security clearance took a while.