and a new year begins...

A whole month has passed since the thesis challenge began. So, how did I do? Well, I ended up working more like four days out of seven, which wasn't the original goal, but a huge improvement over my work in May, June and July. Things continue to move forward. I'm still struggling with the tough chapter, but it's getting better. I'm learning to appreciate the revision process, and that's been a huge hurdle for me. I'd like to have it wrapped up by the end of the weekend and get moving onto my final analysis chapter after Labour Day. Once that's done, the hardest part will be behind me.

There are a couple of carrots I have dangling, helping me stay motivated. The first I need to keep under wraps until it becomes an official carrot, but the second, I can share. I travelled to western Europe 20 years ago, and I have always wanted to return. Phil isn't really interested in going there, so I am planning to take a solo vacation in celebration of this long PhD journey, once it's done. I have found a company that does group tours with a nice balance of organized stuff and free time to explore on your own. Approximately 1/3 of the people who go on each tour are solo travelers, so there will be plenty of opportunity to connect with other people who aren't traveling with friends and family, etc. I'm looking at a couple of weeks in London, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. And assuming Brigit will still be in Berlin, I will plan to spend time with her as well on one end of the trip or the other. I don't know exactly how it will feel once I defend, but I figure it's a safe bet that getting away from here for a while will be a welcome change.

Anyway, back to writing. A couple of hours to go before I head to yoga. I've been planning to start yoga for a long time now, but I finally went to a class on Saturday. It's right between my apartment and Lit (my coffee shop of choice), so no excuses anymore. No excuses for not writing, and no excuses for not going to yoga.

Thanks for all the support. I'm getting closer and closer to the end all the time.