Man, the last 30 days have been a doozy. But there have been some big events over the last month coupled with some personal realizations. All of this makes for the perfect self-motivating cocktail.
SONG INSPIRATION
This month’s blog was inspired by a remix track by DaniLeigh, Easy. The choreography in the music video gives me life.
TECHNICAL REVIEW – PASSED
I spoiled my own damn blog. But, yeah, I passed my technical review. It was underwhelming and irritating. I assumed it would last no more than 2 hours, but it ran for 3.5 hours instead. All of that said, my committee had no concerns with my research or my timeline. They cleared me to defend at the end of the spring semester, which puts me on track to graduate in summer 2020. This is precisely what I expected and probably what’s best for my working timeline. It gives me 6 – 8 months to continue analyzing my data and writing my dissertation. But it does mean that I have to remain diligent in my responsibilities.
FALL BREAK
After a grueling tech review – not to mention the three weeks of concerted effort leading up to it – I definitely needed to recharge. Fall Break couldn’t have come at a better time and I spent my time cooking, watching music videos, writing, and catching up on sleep. It was one of the quieter fall breaks. Many of my friends were out of town (either in the field or on an island) and I didn’t travel or line-up any social activities. Sometimes the mind, body, and soul need a chance to rejuvenate.
COLLEGE >> GRAD SCHOOL >> THE REAL WORLD
Grieving is a challenge. Especially when you don’t even realize it’s happening. Transition is hard. Even when you know it’s taking place. Over the past year, I’ve been preparing for – and let’s face it – living the transition from graduate school to the real world. I’ve retreated into my small sphere of friends and activities. I’m rarely on campus nowadays and I don’t interact with my peers as much as I used to. I expected all of this. What I didn’t expect was to grieve my college years. In recent weeks, I had found myself feeling blue and lethargic. Intrusive thoughts crept into my mind causing me to question my life decisions. Thanks to my therapist (bless that man!) I discovered that I’m – at least subconsciously – in mourning. For the last 12 years, I’ve lived a life of roommates, independence, classes, research, etc. The freedom. The routine. The youth. That life is ending. I know that. But I never considered that, subconsciously, I might regret or miss the loss of that life, what it represents, and the impact it’s had on my life.
Advice: Often times, we don’t even realize it when our mind is responding to gradual change. It’s easy to attribute our mood and behaviors to an obvious event when, in fact, there may be a more subtle explanation. It’s good, periodically, to take a step back and analyze your situation.
CURRENT SHOWS
Recently finished: Collateral; Dark (s2); Great British Bakeoff (s7); Secret City: Under the Eagle; SOTUS: The Series
Currently watching: Law & Order: SVU (s20); The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
Thank you for reading! My next blog is scheduled for Thursday, November 21st. Until next time….
The Planetary Novelist 