Hiiiii, it’s Vic—and in this Doctoral Diaries episode I’m taking you with me to Pittsburgh for my very first international academic conference (!!!). I attended the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) conference, and the wildest part is I got to go on a full-ride thanks to the Young Professionals Scholarship. I walk you through what it actually looks like to show up as a PhD student: figuring out where to be, how to talk to people without feeling awkward, and how to make networking feel a little more human and less like a performance. I also share my biggest takeaways from sessions that genuinely stuck with me, plus the behind-the-scenes reality of balancing professional development with coursework and just… being a person. There’s a bit of exploring Pittsburgh in there too, because I’m me and I need my little joys and city moments to stay grounded. If you’re curious about conferences, thinking about applying for scholarships, or you just want an honest grad school travel vlog vibe, this one is for you.