Hi, summer. I've been waiting for you.
This academic year was absolutely the most difficult one I've had. Ever.
I took a bunch of courses. I did a practicum and got some incredible hands-on experience in the messy world of not-for-profit organizations and urban settings and teen pregnancy. I felt sick and tired for most of the fall semester and finally, finally went to a real doctor* and found out that I had mono. I went to San Francisco. Twice. I drank wine in Napa Valley and put my toes in the Pacific Ocean. My father, who I didn't really know, died. And then I found his sister and her husband and my cousin. I kept a peace lily alive, which has to be some sort of potted plant record for me. I worried about finding an internship. I found an internship. I also passed the Praxis, finalized my plan of work, passed prelims, and proposed my dissertation**. I kept on nursing my sweet baby and cried a little as I cuddled her in the evenings, not wanting time to move so very fast. I watched her grow and crawl and walk and become a toddler (and I'm still fighting it).
And now, I can breathe again.
Summer.
I'm still pretty busy in the clinic at school, and I probably will be until the end of May when I hand off the "scheduling officer" baton and am no longer on the hook for all incoming and outgoing calls at work. I'll keep being a coach for some students needing academic support and doing a working memory training program. But come June, Evelyn is only in school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the morning. So I'll go in to work during those chunks of time but that's it. Glorious.
What will I do with all this time?
1. Read. The summer reading list is long and I tend to grab extra treats whenever I'm at the library, so I'm not sure where the winding road will take me this summer but I'm excited. I started Room yesterday and finished it today. I think I was seriously in need of reading something other than journal articles or my own endless dissertation.
2. Play. With Evelyn. A lot. Outside.
3. Travel. We'll head to Kansas and we'll head to the beach. I might also go on some little day-trip adventures with Evelyn just because we can.
4. Grow something. Right now it's looking like cilantro and basil. I could live on chips and salsa or bruschetta all summer. I know growing herbs is supposed to be simple, so we'll see if I can handle it.
5. Try to undo the damage that the past 6 years of grad school have done to my body. So far this means boot camp at a small local gym and I will say I'm loving it. I've nearly puked, I've nearly cried in front of the class, but I've also had some amazing moments and I've been apologizing to my poor sore body for not asking it to do anything more than sit for so many years. I'm grateful that it's working with me and I'm slowly finding some endurance and strength. I'm also realizing that I absolutely do not push myself as hard as I need to when it's just me. I need the accountability and encouragement that the group provides.
And that's it. Five things. I am beaming at the thought of summer, and it's here!
* All offense intended, Student Health at my fine institution of higher education. Thanks for nothing. And to you, oh doctor who made the call and ran the simple mono blood test, many thanks for not just sending me home with a tub of monster-strength antibiotics and telling me I'd be fine in 24 hours and I should go take that test even though I feel like death like student health did.
** That's five, count 'em, FIVE academic milestones for my doctoral degree. Whereas I could check no "progress" boxes on my self-evaluations for the first two years I was enrolled in this program, this year I got to check five. I'd pat myself on the back some more, but my arms are sore from attempting to do some pull-ups on Friday. My lack of athleticism keeps me humble :)
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Jes