One Hundred Convergences
The thought of defending is exciting and scary, although to be honest, I haven't even been able to think that far ahead much because I'm still so focused on the here and now. I'm in the middle of turning around what I hope are the last or second-to-last round of revisions for my advisor to look at before she gives me the green light to send it out to my other four committee members. (Your committee needs two weeks before your defense to read your dissertation, so that when you go in to present your work to them, they have prepared questions to ask you or grill you on, based on what you wrote. And you have to hope that there are no gaping holes or inconsistencies that they can pick on). *Deep Breaths*
As might be expected, I have been supremely exhausted recently on top of my ever-thin stamina. But it's like my body hit a wall and I couldn't push any further like I'm prone to doing, and I had to take breaks to rest and sleep a lot this week. And I mean sleep A LOT. But something wonderful (well, only exciting to me) has happened in the past few weeks. I finally found a new acupuncturist--I had been on her waiting list since February, but I patiently waited because her reputation is so good (a friend had a really great experience with her). And it seems to be making all the difference. Acupuncture isn't a "cure", but it helps me manage and pace myself better.
It's evident to me that this practitioner is an extremely talented one. Her style is similar to the first ever acupuncturist I went to about eight years ago--a style that I really responded to. And not only that.... but I'm more fully committed to trying Chinese herbs for the first time. I had never given herbs a fair try aside from the occasional but non-committal round of ginseng. This time, I'm following the advice to take the formulas and "tea pills" she's calibrating for me from week to week, and...
Wow! I'm sure it's not that exciting to you, but it's evident to me that her work is really helping to give me a little bit of renewed stamina to push through. Physically and mentally. If you ever get acupuncture at a time you're feeling as mentally fatigued as you are feeling physically tired, see if you get a needle put into the top of your head. It's called the "100 convergences" point, and will totally clear your head. It may be obvious from previous entries that I was starting to feel a bit burned out on school. I hope the acupuncture gives me that added push to help me finish and still have strength to spare.
What else? I'm still in limbo as far as jobs. Phone interview went well, I think, but you just never know--I haven't heard anything yet. I'm following a couple of leads pretty closely. I really don't want to leave this place.
But I've cast a wider net than I'm comfortable with, and the net may get wider, both in terms of the type of job and the location. Since the last time we talked, I added 4: Ann Arbor, Michigan; Norfolk, Virginia; Chicago and Seattle to the mix of possibilities and am working on a cover letter for a position in Denver. Somehow, though, I still cannot bring myself to add in Tuscon, Arizona, anywhere in Indiana, upstate NY, or Urbana-Champagne, Illinois into the mix. The way I see things, I'm a girl who would be happiest either in the hipper, "cooler" cities like Boston or the Bay Area, possibly DC, possibly Seattle, possibly Chicago, possibly Denver...or some of the more well-known university towns--Charlottesville, VA, Boulder, Colorado, Ann Arbor, Michigan (even though I generally don't see myself as a midwesterner), Eugene, Oregon, or possibly the Research Triangle area in North Carolina (about as far South as I'd consider going unless there were the right job in Atlanta).
If only someone would wave a magic wand and make the perfect job appear. Perfect in terms of content and match with my background, and perfect in terms of being in one of the aforementioned places I'd be willing to at least entertain the idea of living. I have to be proactive and patient. Things will pan out. I must focus on finishing my degree/dissertation first of all.
Hmm....I have a sore middle finger. Is that possible? From all the typing I've done lately?
