Throw’d my Hat into the Ring

Hello blogorinos,

I have had a very exciting week.

Firstly, my life has been gloriously devoid of DATA-ing. The goals I outlined in my last post, which I neglected to italicize, are materializing a little slower than I’d like (poor pacing in regular font, I suppose) but I did have a productive work day yesterday and I am now “in” writing my 2nd chapter. Meaning, I’ve started it, and have about 2 pages of writing. This is good.

What has been particularly enjoyable is that given the nature of this research project – that is to say, a long drawn out debacle that began before I even started my M.Sc – I have found that writing this chapter demands a stronger narrative voice than one might usually expect.

So I have had fun writing the methods…and the methods may very well be the meat of the paper because the project was methods development…except my supervisor is on holiday, does not know I’ve begun Ch 2. without finishing Ch 1. (which shouldn’t matter really, these are self-imposed deadlines), and may quash this little guiding voice I’ve inserted into the paper. Said quashing will take place approximately 2 weeks from now though, when she returns from her break and I’ve presumably flushed out the writing quite a bit. We’ll see how that goes, but for now I’m trusting my instincts.

Have I yet mentioned that I am enjoying writing? Much like running – who the heck knew!? It’s a challenge in that I am regularly limited by my lack of knowledge and am forced to take reading breaks, but when I can write, I certainly enjoy it.

Moving on – much is new.

1. I have been awarded the UBC Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. This is a HUGE honour, to say the very least. I found out this excellent news in my mailbox on Friday, which made for an excellent weekend kick-off. This letter has given me back approximately 5 minutes (cumulative) per day since I no longer need to obsessively check the website with previous winners’ names listed. Also, it validates putting my ePortfolio first for 1+ week and my passion for teaching and learning. Probably not in that order. Poorly put.

2. I have reached a point where daydreaming and planning for the future is actually a good use of my time. I think the transition from being a waste to an effective use my time happened in the last two weeks or so?! In these last two weeks I have been told of numerous opportunities that would be basically perfect for me, and become available with fairly good timing. I have also met with an individual who I believe holds the golden key to my obtaining the post-grad job I truly want. This latter development happened just before I began to write this blog!

The bottom line from this meeting is that I should be able to acquire some sort of opportunity here (or at least apply for them…heh..heh…*sob*), and the job I truly want will indeed be available, but it will also be an international competition. ….slightly intimidating. Overall, the coffee date was very positive, Ms. Golden Key is very enthusiastic about what I do next, is supportive of my intentions, and I think I made it clear that I was officially throwing my hat into the ring for that job. I’ve also realized there is not just one Golden Key holder. There are many. Basically a whole faculty worth.

As it turns out, the timing of all the opportunities I alluded to above may work out in such a way that the jobs I like slightly less are getting filled slightly before the job I truly want, which is slightly inconvenient. I have to be grateful for the timing of all this though, I am a very lucky girl indeed that these opportunities are even available in the same general window that I too become available. I have some ideas of what to do next to continue on this path of future planning, many of which were supplied by Ms. Golden Key. Basically it consists on going on a number of other coffee dates with new and familiar faces!

I shall leave it here for now. Perhaps in the next post I will have an update on the future, or it may simply focus on writing, narrative, and getting things ready for my supervisor’s return….to email.