New year, new aspirations, and new challenges. Welcome to 2025!
SONG INSPIRATION
The first blog of the year is inspired by Whitney Houston’s I’m Your Baby Tonight.
WINTER BREAK
I can’t overstate how much I needed four weeks away from N’Angland. I feel – mostly – rejuvenated, with fresh ideas and new year resolutions (last section). A large part of this burgeoning feeling of optimism stems from 3 weeks of abundant sunlight, delicious food, and ample socializing. I rounded out the year on a professional and personal high – a pleasantly surprising way to bid 2024 adieu. Don’t let the doorknob knock the f*** outta you on your way out! Now, I’ve returned to the bleak tundra of N’Angland. This week marks the start of our winter term, colloquially J-term, which is a four-week semester where students take 1 class 4 days per week. And instead of walking the streets of Tokyo, yours truly is teaching an upper-level planetary geology course. Missing Japan is worth the inspiration and excitement that typically comes with any course dealing with the aspiration of space exploration. I’ll also have time to make progress on a few projects, mentor some students, and prep for the spring.
WRITING AND ACADEMIA
I successfully returned to editing the first novel of my duology during the winter break. First, I had to restore the habit. I hope to make near daily progress in the coming months thanks, in part, to my teaching load being spread across winter and spring. Second, I want to increase the number of pages edited in a given sitting. I would like to edit more than 10 pages per session but that depends on the nature of the edits. And this is still the first round! There are large structural changes I would like to make as well and those tend to slow the process. In the realm of non-fiction, I hope to make significant progress on the first draft of my 6th first author manuscript. I really need to get it to my co-authors so I can push it out this spring.
On the tenure track job front, I have two in-person interviews in the next 4 weeks which is equally exciting and exhausting. I have a couple of really good options this cycle and I’m trying to stay cautiously optimistic. I’m ready to have stability and know where I’ll live in 7 months.
2025
I’m done showing up for people who don’t show up for me. It doesn’t mean I’m done with those people or hold any ill will toward them. Rather, I am better off allocating my time and energy to those who already show up. I have so many relationships to maintain and it doesn’t get easier with age due to mounting responsibilities and a lack of available energy. This is definitely related to enforcing my boundaries as well. It’s amazing how that ruffles people’s feathers. With that said, here are my two broad “resolutions” for the new year:
1 – Set and enforce boundaries. This mostly applies to professional settings. I’m done burning myself at both ends for…nothing.
2 – Show up for the real ones. Nuff said.
CURRENT BOOKS AND SHOWS
Recently finished reading: Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe
Currently reading: A Modern History of Japan; A Voice from Darkness; Fundamentals of Physical Volcanology
Recently finished watching: Agatha All Along; Harrow (s1-3); Law and Order: SVU (s25); The Disastrous Life of Saiki (s2-3); The Floor (s2)
Currently watching: Beastars (s3); Detective Conan (s32); Silo (s2); The Skeleton Crew
Thank you for reading! The second blog of the new year is scheduled for Thursday, February 6th. Happy New Year! Until next month….
The Planetary Novelist 