::whew::
This post marks one week (almost to the minute!) that I wrapped up the most work-intensive month in my life: I've sent off the manuscript, I've turned in my tenure file, and now my academic future is in the hands of other people. I could be nervous, but strangely, I'm not. Part of it is that I think I've done a decent job at both; part of it is that now that I've done all I can, there's nothing more to do.
And that's kind of the issue. Sure, I have stacks of grading this weekend, and an ambition to clean up my apartment and organize my office, but without the book and tenure file hanging over my head, I find myself waking up some mornings and wondering what it is I'm supposed to do with my day.
But you know, this was nice. Last weekend, Interesting Development came to visit for five days. We played tourist, we had Important Discussions, and generally just reaffirmed that we were still happy to be an important part of each others' lives. Best of all, I was able to relax with him with no feeling that I should be doing something else. I was right where I was supposed to be.
The work will surely pile up again, and there's an article idea that I'm kicking around that I want to start work on in a week or so. But the breathing space was a beautiful thing.
3 comments:
Congratulations on getting the tenure file in! It must feel great to know that you've done everything you can.
I'm at the start of a social science postdoc -- it is a fellowship of sorts. My field is not as book-friendly as yours, but I find myself searching for advice on how to make the best use of this postdoc. Would you consider writing a post that looks back on your own year and advising others on how to make the best of a fellowship year?
Hi Alice, and congratulations on your postdoc! You know, that's actually a post idea I've been kicking around. Gimmme a day or so to think about it.
Good for you for actually taking some time to breathe. So often we just jump from one thing to the next.
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