OK, so I don’t live in a real big city anymore and it isn’t so warm here now.  Its been in the 60s here the past few days.  Um it should be warmer.  It should at least be in the low to mid 70s by now. But this isn’t a weather blog because that would be boring.

I survived my first year of grad school which makes me very happy.  It hasn’t been easy or perfect by any means.  This last semester has been particularly hard because I realized some things I DON’T want to focus my dissertation on.  The problem is that I need to figure out what I want to focus on.  Everyone keeps giving me advice which I appreciate, but sometimes I need less noise and more of own personal focus.  I tend to discover more through looking at the larger picture than focusing on a smaller strand. I am taking this summer to do a lot of reading in my areas of interest (under the guise of a directed reading/independent study.) My mind is opening up a lot more regarding possible project ideas.

My husband and I have been away for the last few weekends: in Illinois for a conference over Memorial Day and visiting family in Northern MI.  This weekend I return to NYC.  This will be my second time back after moving almost a year ago. Honestly, I’m surprised I haven’t been back more. I didn’t have a specific amount of trips I’d be taking back in my mind when I moved.  I’m sad that this may be my only time there this summer but perhaps I’ll be back more than I think.

I’m learning the hard way that summers in academia don’t mean “summers off.”  I knew this but I am not getting as much time as I had hopefully, originally anticipated.  In the future, I just need to take time for me and my husband for just us.

I have lofty goals for this summer like cleaning the bathroom–really cleaning it with bleach and staying on top of laundry.

oh and blogging more.