My 26th Birthday

I had a great day on September 13th when I celebrated my 26th birthday. I received messages and cards from my closest family and friends, I went to House of Japan with my husband (ha, I love saying that word), and then we relaxed and watched football. It was exactly what I needed after such an eventful last few weeks. There was one part that was bitter sweet....

I have always given myself these random goals and I have always had a goal to have a PhD while I am 25. Me turning 26 reminded me that I had not reached that goal. However, the more and more I think about the more I realize that the age is not what is important. Sure, I could have graduated with my PhD before 26, but at what price. I have developed some amazing friendships, done some pretty cool things, and married the man of my dreams. All of that could have been put on hold had I been so focused on the age I receive my PhD. So, I am promising myself that I will continue to work on my dissertation. However, I am not giving anyone else an estimated deadline. I will have my PhD when... I FINISH and you better believe. I will finish. Ok enough of that rant. Happy Birthday to me!

Back to the Drawing Board

Bad News: My IRB proposal did not qualify for the exempt process.

Good News: It was supposed to be a two-week turn around, but it ended up being a two day turn around.

Now... I am applying for an expedited review. I have worked on updating and changing the proposal for six hours straight and it is finally ready to submit. I must admit, I am pretty proud of myself for just "cranking it out," because I originally wanted to just lay down and deal with it later. I plan to submit through the expedited process and hope and pray that it does not take very long. I was told four weeks and if that is the case, my timeline will shift dramatically. As many of you have already, keep me in your prayers and thoughts. Lets pray for a week turn around time!!!

Dissertation Proposal Meeting DEADLINE!

(Photo from: http://www.streamys.org)

Time is running out until another deadline. My proposal meeting is a week from today. MAY 11th. I must admit, I am a little worried because I don't have my edits yet for my proposal. I am sure that everything will work out, but when I have so much going on... it can be difficult to have uncertainty. If anything, this dissertation process will teach me to let go of control and learn to have patience. How do you release control of things you never really had control over, anyways?

Time is Ticking...

One day left. Tomorrow is the last day before my dissertation proposal is due. Now, it's due anytime on Thursday. So, theoretically, I can work on it Thursday, too. We will see how much I get done. Monday I had a huge set-back. I spent five hours, five hours I will never get back by the way, trying to print articles. My best friend also had some things happen in her life, so I had to put this on the back-burner. Even though she is going through something, she has still been supportive of me and even allowed me to vent briefly. Surprisingly, I am not feeling overly stressed and I am pushing forward. Tonight will probably be a loooooooong night. Wish me luck!

Four Days and Counting...

(Photo from clker.com)

I am trying not to get engulfed by the worry and pressure I am feeling to get this done on time. April 1st (This Thursday) is the due date for my dissertation proposal. To be honest, just thinking about is making me to feel butterflies in my stomach and tingling in my arms. I am off all week so, thankfully I had all that open time. Please prayer for me that I get this done, successfully and that I stay calm while doing it.

Trying to be Productive

Good Morning,

The last two weeks at my job have been unbelievably busy, leaving me feeling exhausted. (EXHALE). I worked on the dissertation a little bit yesterday, but I kept stopping to complete other things that needed to get done. For instance, I am presenting at a conference this weekend, I am preparing for a big meeting, I need to finish my taxes, etc., etc., etc. So, my plan is to chip away at the things that must be done soon so, I can free up my time (and my mind). I hope that this will get me to a place to where I can focus. I hope it does because I have only 17 days until my proposal deadline of April 1st. I have two big things I need to get done today and one additional thing that I would LOVE to get done today. Wish me luck and send up a prayer for me.

Hurdle 1: April First

So... I met with my advisor yesterday and we talked about my dissertation. I am switching my topic to align more with my research interests. Although, some of the same pieces are still intact, there is still a lot that needs to be changed. So, I am working to crank out three chapters by April 1st. I would love to do this before then so I can actually enjoy some of my Spring Break. Send up your prayers. I believe it's possible.