Dr. E

 5 years and 7 months. 

I successfully defended my dissertation today and I’m flying high! It must be all the weight that has suddenly left my shoulders. It’s been a long road and a VERY wild emotional roller coaster, but it has all been worth it! 

I need to submit the final version of my dissertation to the university’s repository and then I will be completely done!

I’m so incredibly thankful for my family and friends. Their support has made this accomplishment possible.

I’m going to sleep SO well tonight!

🤓🥳😴 

Ready Or Not, Here I Come!

Yesterday, I scheduled my dissertation defense.

Excited. Nervous. Anxious. Nauseous. Curious. Apprehensive.

Ouch!

 Mom, Dad, and I all received our second dose of the COVID vaccine yesterday (Wednesday). There's a sense of relief in having it done and in having the security it (hopefully) provides.

My arm hurt for several days after the first injection, between my shoulder joint and elbow, an intense version of the pain I get from a tetanus shot. The second dose was similar, though the pain was more focused around the site of the injection (it didn't travel down to my elbow). I woke up at 5am this morning in a LOT of pain, but I took Advil and that helped. I just reminded myself that it was better than having the virus. 

In other news, I'm working on another round of edits for my dissertation. I received some written feedback from my committee chair and we are planning to meet next week to go over things... he thinks I might be able to schedule my defense after we meet. 😅

*Edit: Well that kind of sucked. Shortly after posting the above, I laid down "for a bit" because I was SO tired. Then I was running a fever of over 100 degrees off and on for about 24 hours. I pretty much slept Thursday - Sunday morning, with little bouts of consciousness. My body was flat out demanding rest.

In addition to the fever, I had a big red splotch on my arm that was feverish, itchy, and very tender. The spot finally disappeared today (Tuesday), almost a week after the injection. The area was still very itchy yesterday. 

Not fun, but hopefully it works and keeps me from getting extremely sick with COVID. 

(Edited: March 3, 2021)

Snowmaggedon 2021

Someone on Facebook referred to the past week as "Snowmaggedon" and it seemed very appropriate. Texas rarely receives snow or ice or very low temperatures. However, the temperature dropped below freezing last Sunday and didn't go above freezing until Friday afternoon. We received about 6" of snow but dodged the ice storm that came later in the week. It turns out Texas is an island when it comes to energy production. The state that prides itself on its energy dependency had not properly prepared for extremely cold temperatures. They'd prepped their energy systems for extreme heat, but not extreme cold. Natural gas, coal, and wind turbines froze. Most of the state was in rolling blackouts (if they were lucky) or completely without power between Sunday night and Friday. I *think* everyone has power now. We were lucky in that we were in the rolling blackout category. It would go on for about an hour and off for 1-2 hours. We have electric heat, so that meant we were without heat for most of the time. The outside temperature was below 0 at some points and the windchill reached -15. Unheard of for this area. Our water pressure dipped dangerously low on Wednesday and when it came back up that evening we were under a boil water order (which ended yesterday/Saturday). 

My parents' shop had two broken pipes in the ceiling. A section of the shop flooded. It wasn't pretty but it could have been much worse. We were able to get professional help vacuuming up most of the standing water (up to 3 inches in places). My parents are doing inventory for the insurance company - some of their electronic inventory is a complete loss as is the shop's refrigerator and coffee maker. The shop is in an old building and there are concerns about mold. Before the shop can reopen we will need to have a professional cleaning company come in to finish the job and rebuild part of the ceiling. On the plus side... We now have power, heat, water we don't have to boil, and insurance to cover losses at the shop. We are still luckier than some and very thankful for what we have. 

In the midst of all of that... I worked very diligently on my dissertation and I was able to send in my first complete draft to my chair (all 5 chapters) on Thursday afternoon!

2020-2021

The last year or so has been... Well, I don't really have words for what it has been. At some points time dragged on forever... and at other points, it flew by with unbelievable speed. Most of 2020 is a blur, with a few highlights (good and bad) standing out clearly. 

March 13, 2020, was the last day I worked in my office, shortly after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.

I worked from home for 3 1/2 months. Just me, my computer, and my dogs. I averaged about 5-6 hours of Zoom meetings per day. We started our days on Zoom, sharing our good mornings, plans for the day, catching each other up on what we were working on. It was better than being completely alone. In fact, those morning meetings were what got me out of bed each day. I felt more productive at times because I had much fewer interruptions - when I wasn't in Zoom meetings.

I drove to Texas at the end of June, right before the 4th of July, to stay with my parents. Echo, Kaylee, and I on a 19+ hour drive, trying to avoid other humans. I used gloves, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes. It was surreal. Upon arriving in Texas, I unloaded my car and spent the next 14 days locked in one end of the house. The few times I went into the rest of the house (to let the dogs out or get something to eat) I would mask up and stay at least 6' from my parents (who were also masked). On July 14th I hugged my parents for the first time since January. Those were some of the best hugs I've ever received.

I continued working remotely (from Texas) through the end of July. My sabbatical began on August 1st. I participated in Gish (the week-long event) during the first week of August. I'd also participated in all of the mini-hunts earlier in the year. They were some of the highlights of the year for me. For example, when I texted my bestie and asked for a picture of her nose or big toe... and she replied immediately with a picture of her nose. No questions asked. 😂

On August 10th, I dove into my dissertation and completed a solid draft of chapters 1, 2, and 3. I successfully completed my dissertation proposal on October 8th and I spent the next few weeks recruiting school districts to participate in my survey. The survey ran between November and December and I was able to take time off during the holidays and spent it with my parents.

It's now February 9th and I'm still waiting for my survey results. It's been a frustrating few weeks, but I feel like I've finally been able to communicate what I'm looking for and I am hopeful I will receive everything in the next couple of days. Once I receive the rest of my data (in the format I need) I will be able to write chapters 4 and 5 - then, eventually, defend my dissertation. I hope to finish everything this semester. I return to work full-time on July 1st and I'd really like to have some time off to work on other things and actually relax without the dissertation hanging over me!

I wanted to document the highlights from the last (almost) year. A lot has happened in this country, in this world, but I've tried not to let it get me down. It's been hard. The levels of fear and hatred that have pervaded our country this past year have broken my heart, terrified me, and made me sick to my stomach. I have hope for our future, but it will be a long road. 

The positives:

1. Spending time with my parents

2. Having the time to focus solely on my dissertation (no excuses)

3. Having time to step back from my daily stress and frustrations

4. Having time to implement self-care 

I've been (mostly) off of work for 6 months and I'm just starting to realize the extent of the stress I was under. I've been involved with a search committee for work and I have two more search committees to sit on yet this spring - they're all positions I work closely with so I felt it important to share my input. I've also received some updates about significant changes occurring at work... However, being removed from the day-to-day drama, I feel more relaxed and less stressed than I've felt in years. 

I love my job. I love helping students. I love the opportunities and interactions it provides me. I love the chances I've had to share my insights to help improve our programs.

I don't love unnecessary drama or politics.

I'm a very passionate person. I care very deeply. I strive to do the best job possible and I have high expectations for myself and for others. Those expectations are not always met to my satisfaction. This is an ugly truth about myself. 

My challenge: Find a way to maintain a level of separation between what is going on at work and what I'm feeling. Find a way to keep from becoming so emotionally invested in what is going on that I make myself sick. Find a way to do my job, do it well, and not stress over what other people are or are not doing.

This feels like an impossible challenge... but I must find a way to accomplish it. If I don't, I will burn out and/or risk my health. No job is worth my mental, physical, or emotional health.

Glacier, friends, and more waterfalls!

The week has flown by, but I've had some amazing experiences. I presented in front of a couple of university classes. The views from the classroom were pretty impressive.

I also presented at a middle school. They were located right next to the fjord - the same place where I saw porpoises earlier in the week. Can you imagine?!

The farm I stayed at had the most spectacular view and critters. I made fast friends with one of their cats (Snoopy) and the horses enjoyed the carrots. I also arrived just in time for lambing season.

There were mountains, fjords, rivers, churches, a glacier, and more waterfalls than you can imagine!

I'm in Oslo for the night and then off to Scotland.

Fjords, waterfalls, flowers, and porpoises, oh my!

I arrived in Oslo on Saturday afternoon - heavily jet lagged - but in one piece, with my luggage. I call that a win.

On Sunday morning I flew into Sogndal. Even cloudy, windy, and cool, it was beautiful. I'm staying on a farm, in a 2nd floor apartment. There are two balconies, the one in the living room looks out over the fjord. I spent the afternoon and evening staring at the mountains and the water.

Today is Monday and I seem to have conquered my jet lag - just in time for a busy day of sightseeing.

I started out with a walk along the fjord and a visit with some sheep.

In the afternoon I received a tour of the local folk museum. They've assembled a variety of houses from the 17th century to the 1950's. Many of the older homes had sod roofs.

There was also a habitat for bees... Apparently these are becoming quite popular in Norway.

Next was a stop at the Kaupanger Stave Church.

Then, a trip to a 'real' waterfall (foss) - there are a ton of waterfalls around here... but apparently they don't really count unless they're a certain size... Say this size...

On the way to and from the waterfall we were treated to a dozen or so porpoises. A first! I wouldn't have known they were porpoises if my guides hadn't informed me they were "nise," not dolphins. Unfortunately, I didn't grab a picture of them. They were far enough away that you wouldn't have really seen anything anyway... but trust me, they look just like dolphins from a certain distance. :)

I finished the day with a BBQ at a friend's house. The food was delicious and so was her view!

Finally, here are the friendly neighborhood trolls:

Oslo

I have arrived in Oslo.

My first look at Norway:

Nap time. 

Up, up and away (again)

It's been a long while (years) since I've blogged on a regular basis and I recently realized that I miss it!

I’m off on another adventure and it seems an appropriate time to dive back into blogging.

I've been working on my doctorate and all coursework has been completed. I’m down to the dissertation, which means I’m halfway done. 

I’m currently sitting at Keflavik airport in Reykjavik, Iceland. I’m only here for an hour and a half, when I catch my connecting flight to Oslo, Norway. We landed in Iceland in an overcast, windy, andcool conditions. The sun is peeking out now in one small area. Iceland is on my bucket list and since I can’t really see anything from the airport I will plan a special trip in the future. Maybe once I have completed my doctorate. ;)

Tomorrow I will travel to Sogndal, Norway. My university has a partnership in place with the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL). I will meet with different departments and receive a tour of the university. I will also give a presentation on schools in America at a couple of local schools. 

After a week in Norway, I will check another box on my bucket list - Scotland!

Boarding time. More to come...

Here I go again on my own

I have been blessed again with another travel opportunity! This time I will be exploring Norway and Scotland.

Reflection

I've been back home for a week now... long enough to start processing what I learned and experienced in Italy. Here are some of my observations/things that will stick with me:

• Beautiful buildings, artwork, and rolling hills
• Delicious, fresh food (especially tomatoes) that is thoughtfully prepared and presented
• Heat and humidity reminiscent of my time in Texas
• Lanes, turn signals, and speed limits all seem to be optional
• The 40-ish tunnels between Rome and Macerata
• The people don't acknowledge (smile/nod/greet) each other when they pass in the street - unless they genuinely know each other
• Once you've been introduced to someone, they are very warm, friendly and smiley
• They were very open about their strengths and weaknesses and open to questions
• Everything is smaller there: cars, rooms, roads, elevators, doors...
• Maybe not everything... the hills are pretty steep
• There's an attention to detail in everything they create (art, architecture, food) which far surpasses anything I experience on a daily basis
• The Mediterranean sun
• Olive trees and vineyards
• Solar farms
• Cities on hills with centuries of history layered on top of each other
• The amazing group of women with whom I shared this adventure
• The Adriatic Sea
• The clock tower
• The doors and door knockers
• Our university systems and government are very different, but we have a lot of the same issues

I learned more than I ever thought possible. I'm so appreciative of this opportunity, of the financial support I received, and for the new friends I made!