The last few weeks in M-ville really were fantastic. I threw myself a little going away shindig and lots of the people who've made my time in doing my thesis so much fun showed up. I drank even more sangria to truly cement 2009 as the summer of sangria. I kept running and kept the whining the next day to a minimum. I presented results of my thesis to the team I work with and had one of the most truly ridiculous nights I've had in a while with a bunch of my fellow students. And then definitely paid for it the next day. My lovely roomie and friend J got me a thesis cake, and we managed to open a bottle of wine to drink with it. The next thing I knew, my father had shown up to move me home. (I did somewhat feel it was time for me to leave academia mainly because the froshies were pissing me off WAY more than usual).
So I am now back in my hometown, O-town, where I will attempt to organize all of my life's posessions which are currently packed into my bedroom, re-establish myself a life here and try to get some relaxing time in along with getting manuscripts from my thesis published and other projects moving forwards. The relaxing started very well by my heading up to my familial cottage. It was rainy, so I plunked myself down on one of our couches and read utter trash, in between making hemp bracelets and schooling my cousins at Scattegories. It was awesome. This week I do unfortunately have things to accomplish, and my parents are renovating our downstairs so that means HAMMERING! starts promptly at 8:30 AM. However, I'm getting excited to head back to the M-ville next week for my kind of defense, hang with my peeps who I already miss dearly, and will also be heading back up north soon. And then I go to the Italy! My heart is aflutter.
Speaking of aflutter, I'm a total nerd, and am thus already hooked on 'Defying Gravity'. If you haven't checked this show out yet, you really should, and can even download the first 3 episodes from iTunes! (I managed to almost fry my computer doing this until I realized how little free disk space I had but thats just another part of the saga currently known as 'Anna needs a new computer') It was an interesting episode last night, all about choices and living with our choices and they were kind of hitting us over the head with the concept of CHOICE, but I digress. For some reason, by 2052, abortion seems to be illegal in North America and one of the characters (Zoe) has a secret abortion to stay in the space program (because this show is 'Grey's Anatomy' in space if you hadn't heard). She has the opportunity to meet a former candidate who left to have children, who assures Zoe that she has no regrets. At the end of the episode we see Zoe (whom we had learned had to have an emergency hysterectomy due to the abortion going wrong) looking at pictures of this woman and her children in a longing way. That's fairly standard, but interestingly we also got to see the one who left looking at pictures at Zoe and the other astronauts, likely feeling some regrets of her own. Often women in the media are painted as so happy to have made sacrifices for their families, that it was quite refreshing to see someone reflect the likely more accurate picture that women deserve every choice we have, but it doesn't mean that we'll often wonder about the path not taken.
As I am currently finishing one path and setting out on another, one that I would hope will include a family in a few years (BUT NO BABIES YET!), but realizing that if I ever shifted back towards academia it could be hard, I appreciate every blog I read by those who have already tried to find their paths, who can offer me some wisdom in the eternal struggle of life balance. This post may seem a little confused because I am still confused. I am in a much better position than most, better educated, with better prospects ahead, but that doesn't mean my life is easy or uncomplicated, its likely even more complicated! Ugh, I can't deal with both life questions and unpacking, I think I need more sangira. Ta for now....
No comments:
Post a Comment