Enduring the roadtrip

"Expect Problems and eat them for breakfast."

-Alfred A. Montapert

This. is. the. last. week. of. the. semester.

Feelings? Excited, excited, tired, a little crazy, but mostly excited. 

As I was whiningly (is that a word?) explaining to my eternally optimistic husband how I have four more days to go, and how I just want it to be over (in my saddest please-take-pity-on-me voice) he said, "but you've come so far, and done so much and you only have four days to go. I paused, thought about it for a minute, realizing I wasn't going to receive any pity. So I bit my lip, shrugged my shoulders and replied "Well...yeah, I guess you're right. (*shuffles feet and walks away*)

It just feels so difficult sometimes.

Indiana Sunset (taken on the road to Nashville, IN)

Road trip analogy
The only way I can explain it, is that this semester has been like a LOOOONG roadtrip. You are privileged for the opportunity to go on a road trip, to have a car to travel in and so much hope for your destination. But after being in the car for so many hours, it starts to wear on you. While you can fall asleep, you don't quite have the comforts of home. The food you eat, probably isn't the most healthy because you are on the go. And you lose touch temporarily with your community because you are travelling down the road. After you've been in the car for hours and hours your feet get cramped, maybe you get a bit carsick and you just want to BE THERE. But you have to keep driving. The destination will come. And it will feel SO good to arrive.

While I have to keep the end in mind, process is important. Being present is also important. 

So these next few days, I'm going to do my best to love my 'car mates' (classmates) a little bit more. I'm taking a few deep breaths for the endurance to finish strong, and trying to eek out a bit of joy, where I currently can't see any.  End of semesters are always difficult no matter how prepared you are, but it is almost done, I know that it can be done, and I can make it. 

Any other full time grad students out there? How are you hanging in there?