Some years ago I had a postdoc who said to me, “I don't want to be like you, I want a life.” This phrase was then a common refrain among young scientists who were struggling with the decision of whether to stay in academic science. But I was truly taken aback that this intelligent and thoughtful young woman felt she could say this to my face because it assumed and presumed so much. I comfort myself with the thought that if I were to see her today, she would have the grace to be embarrassed to have used those words. I hope that by now she has understood that every individual finds satisfaction in different ways, and that what is a ‘good life’ for one person may not suit another. For example, some of my best friends have splendid gardens that give them great joy. I love looking at other people's gardens, but it would never cross my mind to leave the city—with its harbour and cafés—to live in a house with a garden.

When I was a child, my father told me that the secret to a good life was tricking the universe into paying you a salary to do what you loved doing. He said that he watched, with great sadness, friends who were aspiring poets, painters, and musicians who worked jobs they hated to pay the bills, and then tried to paint and write after they were tired by days filled with tedium. In contrast, I get paid to do a job that I enjoy; I choose to work long hours because I spend most of those hours doing things I value. Family is also central to a good life. Families can be those we were born into, those we create, and those we may find at work. Science often creates strong bonds between labmates and colleagues, and friendships that endure for lifetimes.