With Spring comes change

The weather took an unexpected turn from cold, gray, and dismal to bright, sunny, and warm - and it gave me a boost in energy and a chance for a better disposition. I've been feeling a little bit less than optimistic about writing the dissertation, but that's nothing new for a doctoral student. Although I understand how difficult of a process it can be, I didn't fully anticipate how all of the factors in my life have complicated this final stage of my program.

Working as a middle school teacher has a been a great experience, but at the same time, it saps my time and energy. When I'm not in class, I'm at home recovering from class. When I'm not recovering from class, I'm grading or preparing for class. It's the life of a teacher, but combine that with the life of a father, husband, and grad student and you suddenly have a perfect storm for falling short at everything. The icing on the cake is how I feel so isolated from academic life. I haven't had much communication with my adviser. I'm not sure if that's her style or if it's an indication that we aren't compatible - but for what it's worth - I can't manage a clear, steady channel of communication. I've submitted work to her and it's taken an inordinate amount of time for it to be returned. I understand life can get difficult, but I can't help but feel like I'm being ignored. I'm not sure how to approach this, but I think something needs to happen - and soon.

However, I'm not going to get down in the dumps. The weather is beautiful. Spring is in the air, and the most important thing is that I stay focused, and busy. I must WORK. Working will alleviate a lot of my frustration.