Rounding out the month with another docket of reflections. Let’s get into it!
SONG INSPIRATION
The 2nd blog of the month was inspired by Candy by Cameo.
THE CASE FOR DO-NOTHING VACATIONS
Exploring the world is important to me hence why I travel. I want to explore as much of this planet as I can. However, exploration takes energy. In the last few years, I’ve had the privilege to visit New Zealand, Iceland, Guatemala, and – of course – Japan. But most of these “vacations” have been a mixture of “seeing as much as possible in case I never return”, attending conferences, and relaxing for a day or two. On the other hand, it had been almost 3 years since I had a beach vacation. A vacation where I literally do nothing but drink and lounge by the water for hours beneath a large canopy with good music and something to read. And I gotta say – I’ve REALLY needed a do-nothing vacation. Two weeks ago, I finally got the opportunity to unplug. No itinerary. No expectations. No exploration. Just a week to rest and recuperate from a tumultuous academic year. It’s super fun visiting new places, but sometimes you just need to unwind.
PEACE OVER SECURITY
Peace means something different to each of us. To me, peace is joy, routine, and a state of contentment. Security typically means a safety, reliable income, and/or guaranteed employment. Ideally, these two concepts would go hand in hand when making a decision about one’s career. Recently, however, I made the difficult decision to choose peace over security. For the last couple of years, I’ve had peace. I’ve enjoyed my jobs, my personal life, and my social life. As a result, I’ve had time for personal growth and reflection, hobbies, and writing (see next section). However, I’m at the point in my career where I’m staring down the barrel of a either a tenure-track / permanent position or leaving academia. I’ve had months to reflect on the type of position I want, where I want to live, work-life balance, etc. In this last job cycle (my 3rd, if you don’t count the one during covid), I made a choice to prolong my contentment. Bottom line – I want to work at an institution where me and my work are valued and respected. And I don’t want to have to sacrifice my personal life for someone else’s definition of success. It takes a degree of privilege to choose peace over financial security, for instance, and I recognize it’s not a decision for everyone. But when I do have a choice, I will choose inner peace.
WRITING
To date, I’ve edited 25% of my first novel or ~125 pages. My goal is to edit at least 10 pages per weekday until I’m snatched up by the Japanese Language Immersion Program. I’ve made huge structural changes to the timeline and character development which will likely take the second half of the year to sort out. In fact, I’m on track to complete a first round edit by the end of the summer. Then, I can use the rest of the year to fill in the gaps I’ve created. Theoretically, early next year I will pass off the polished turd to my alpha readers and start editing the second book in the duology.
In non-fiction, I’m happy to report my 5th manuscript has been accepted for publication! This paper – which sits in the realm of volcanic hazards – is currently in press, which means final formatting and tweaks are being made to prepare it for official publication to the journal. In addition, I’ve started my second round of edits on a 6th manuscript as well. All of this puts me in stronger position for the upcoming job cycle. On a more sentimental note, it’s been very rewarding to do cool science with friends and feel a greater esteem as a researcher.
CURRENT BOOKS AND SHOWS
Recently finished reading: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Currently reading: A Modern History of Japan; The Housekeeper and the Professor; The Origins of Everything in 100 Pages
Recently finished watching: Bodies; Capitani (s1 and 2); Invincible (s2); Star Wars: Clone Wars (s3); The Boys (s3)
Currently watching: Blood of Zeus (s2); Star Wars: Clone Wars (s4)
Thank you for reading! As always, feel free to suggest future topics. My next blog is scheduled for Thursday, June 27th. Until next time….
The Planetary Novelist 