Contrary to my initial suspicions, my thesis did not actually kill me. I gave my thesis defense in early May and it was received really well by my committee members. Hearing, "Congratulations! Your thesis has been approved," was amazing. I dropped my thesis at the publisher earlier this week, so I'm officially done. SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER!
To celebrate my 2 years of hard work, I'm taking a celebracation. My next adventure--6 weeks of backpacking across Europe with my traveling buddie Kim starts Monday, June 30. I'm so excited to write, change up my head space, experience beautiful places, art, food, and just RELAX! I'll post updates periodically along the way. We'll be visiting London, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, San Sebastian, French Riviera: Marseilles, Nice, & St Tropez, Monaco, the 5 villages of the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera, Venice, Florence, Tuscan Countryside, Rome, Pompeii, Athens, and some Greek islands...and a few other friends will be making guest appearances in some locations.
It has been awhile since travel has been a consistent part of my life and it has been greatly missed. Gone are the hitchhiking, fly by the seat of my pants Janel adventures that used to lead me to the strangest places with the strangest people. I also haven't pulled my famous throw-a-dart-at-a-map-and-drive-there-on-a-whim maneuver in years either. Styles may change, but my initial urge to explore and experience different walks of life on my own terms remains strong. Too strong to ignore. The clarity that wandering has always granted leads me to appreciate what I have at home and approach my life with revitalized energy. Over the last 2 years I let many aspects of my life slide as I worked toward my graduate degree, so I'm looking forward to getting back in touch with myself and getting my head straight as I begin the next phase of my life.
Gardens of the mind must be weeded or they cannot flourish.
Some pre-trip fluffing......
San Sebastian, Spain
Vernazza, Itally (one of the villages we'll be visiting in Cinque Terre)
Tuscan Countryside
No comments:
Post a Comment