School

Graduation Day

by Jessica on December 19, 2011

in Education, Goals, School

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If you feel that you have both feet planted on level ground, then the university has failed you. ~Robert Goheen, Time, 23 June 1961

I’m normally not one to start my posts with cheesy quotes, but I haven’t been able to forget this one I saw a few years back when I was preparing to apply to my program. It speaks so honestly of my experiences in achieving my Master’s.

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Graduation day was a complete trip. There aren’t words! Of all the things on my mental “30 before 30,” achieving my master’s has always been at the top. The ceremony kind of felt like the intersection of all the work, sacrifices and time with the reward and formality of the ceremony in front of friends, family and other academics. It was difficult not to be overwhelmed by it all.

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The first part of the ceremony consisted of the hooding ceremony for the doctoral candidates. This was really inspiring to see. Each candidate was accompanied by their advisor, who placed their hood and accompanied them to the stage to accept their doctoral diploma. I won’t lie, watching their ceremony made me really want one — after a few years off of course.

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Finally it was our turn to go. We lined up, and started proceeding to the stage. Right as I was getting in line, my baby brother called wondering why the party wasn’t at my house (he got the times mixed up).

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Off the phone and waiting nervously.

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Ready to walk across the stage. In retrospect I think I was a little underdressed, but I was super comfortable in my Vibrams.

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The moment, the BIG moment! I was so nervous to shake his hand, and the lights were blinding. He asked me what my plans were, and all I could drivel out was “innnnsttruccctional designnn sir.” The man with the red sash looking on is my old boss.

My precious...

I had to snap a shot for my parents in Texas right when I sat down. It’s just the folder for now, they send the diploma itself in a few weeks.

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Goofy smile.

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We tried to get a few pictures, but it was so crowded and crazy that we didn’t get all that many before leaving to go back to the house. My hair was flat and my make-up had run, so I think we’ll have to snap a few more this week when my family is here.

Despite being finished, I feel like my feet are still not firmly planted on anything resembling level ground. The world feels bigger, and the more I learn, the less I realize I really know. I still have so much to learn, see and experience and this just feels like the end of another beginning. Is that crazy?

{ 4 comments }

Submitted and APPROVED! What now? …

by Jessica on November 28, 2011

in Crossfit, Jessica, School

We have been the absolute WORST bloggers in history. We just up and went completely MIA on you, and we are so sorry. Life has been INSANE over the past few weeks. Tons of travel, freelance and this:

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My graduate portfolio, completed, reviewed and APPROVED! I submitted on the 18th and didn’t think I’d hear back before Thanksgiving. The thought of trying to enjoy the holiday not knowing if it was approved killed me. My advisor must have felt my agony, because she emailed on Monday before we left town and said she had reviewed it and was passing it to the committee to sign off on. Needless to say, I ate and drank liberally over the holiday to celebrate.

A graduate portfolio is kind of a non-traditional approach to demonstrating mastery of the competencies acquired over the course of a master’s degree program. While most people have to write, present and defend a thesis or a body of work developed from research, my portfolio is more of a visual and written display articulating my assertion of mastering the competencies. I’ve maintained and developed the body of work over the course of the program, and the portfolio uses that work to demonstrate my understanding.

I started assembling it in September, with the goal to finish in December. My advisor tried to dissuade me, saying it would be too much to take on with courses yet to finish. Undeterred, I said I would definitely finish in December, and accept whatever burden came with such an aggressive goal. It made for a pretty miserable fall, and coupled with my grandpa’s death, really made my November almost non-existent. We cancelled our trip to Foodbuzz, cancelled camping trips and weekends working on the house. Everything pretty much fell by wayside, and it finally swallowed up my blogging time. Not optimal, but worth not having to take another semester to work. And really, toward the end I could barely assemble coherent sentences, let alone topics or things that we were doing that didn’t involve work.

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As you can see, the work was ridiculously writing-intensive. I tried to follow the examples outlined by the program, but somehow still ended up writing several novels-worth of analysis and reflection.

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I’m just so happy it’s over. During our Crossfit dinner a few weeks ago, I was talking with one of the guys in our class who is finishing his PhD. I said, “it feels weird to say, but I just can’t wait to have my life back. This degree was my endeavor, but toward the end, it just doesn’t feel like I’m doing it for myself.” He agreed, and said that he had tried to articulate that same point to several of his friends, who just didn’t get it because they weren’t doing it.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always wanted this degree, and always dreamed of the opportunities it would bring Neil and I, but I seriously had to have a pep-talk with myself every semester to keep going, and toward the end, it didn’t feel like I was doing it for me any more. I’ve given up so much to grow my career. I’ve put off other goals, hobbies and things that would have made the days and weeks more bearable. I’ve lost friends because my lifestyle makes me unrelatable and mostly unavailable. It’s definitely worth it now, but I’m more than ready to take some time and LIVE, before deciding if a PhD is my next step.

I can’t let it go unsaid that all of this wouldn’t have been possible without Neil. He has been so patient with the wild ride I’ve made him endure the past two years, and really stepped up to help this semester. The house stayed clean, the laundry got done, he made dinner every night, and helped make sure my brain didn’t ooze from my ears. I think going into marriage, it’s easy to simplify “for better or for worse” and think that life is nothing but wonderful highs and terrible lows. The truth is that much of it is in-between, and happiness comes in knowing how to thrive in the “middles” and “halfways.” He does that better than anyone, and this degree is really our accomplishment.

So hopefully life can somewhat return to normal now, even though I have no idea what “normal” means or will mean yet…

How do you maintain a healthy work + life balance?

{ 18 comments }

Moroccan Steak and Vegetables

by Jessica on August 19, 2011

in Main Courses, Meat, Recipes, School

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Life has just exploded this week. I don’t know how I fool myself into thinking that every summer break will end with me being super accomplished and organized for the next semester. It never happens that way. I always slide into each semester like I’m being hit by a bus.

Thankfully, and I’m excited to say, that this is my LAST semester of grad school! A masters degree is just a few short but arduous months from now! Think I’m mouthy and opinionated now? Just wait till I have that paper. I kid, I kid.

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I’ve been craving chickpeas and eggplant lately. I’ve seen them in recipes all over the web and felt like throwing tossing them with other veggies and a little steak. Basically another “fix it and forget it” sort of meal that requires little time and minimal neurons. I’m trying to reserve them.

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Such pretty colors in this meal. I couldn’t help but admire them against our “OMG it’s BLUE!!!” countertop. Almost looks as if the pan is floating in the ocean doesn’t it?

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Roasting then in the oven makes your kitchen smell SO good. Hey Yankee Candle, how about a Moroccan spice scent? I would definitely buy it.

Ingredients:

8-12 oz. steak, pounded thin
1 large eggplant, cut into chunks
12 small vine tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground pepper (to taste)
Head of garlic, with cloves separated and quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of balsamic vinegar
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons harissa paste
Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place the steak, eggplant, tomatoes, cumin seeds, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a roasting tin (a glass baking dish works too), season and roast for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Spoon into a bowl and toss with the chickpeas, harissa and parsley. Serve with flatbreads.

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You can serve it by itself or on a bed of rice, it tastes great either way. The first night we served without, and the second we threw (not literally) about a cup of prepared rice in each bowl and it acted as matchmaker to kind of rekindle the juices and the veggies. We served it with Flatout bread, have you ever had it. AWESOME! Another one of those things you pass a million times in the grocery store before you finally buy it, and then you kick yourself for not having done so sooner. I can only describe it as the halfway point of tortillas and pita bread.

I just can’t believe it’s the last weekend of summer. I feel like there is so much to do, and so much I want to do before Monday. Dog park? House projects? Cleaning? Design? Yes to all of the above, well begrudgingly to cleaning. I’m finally almost finished with our latest house project too, I can’t wait to share it with you on Monday!

What are your plans this weekend?

{ 6 comments }

Emergency Peanut Butter Cookies…

May 7, 2011
Thumbnail image for Emergency Peanut Butter Cookies…

I have this recurring dream every few weeks. It’s nearing the end of the semester, classes are wrapping up, and I realize I’ve forgotten that I signed up for one and have not completed a single assignment. I have had this dream consistently since about middle school, and often, even when I have the dream [...]

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Back to School

August 20, 2010

I’m excited to be heading back to school on Monday. Although I officially started this summer, it really only felt like I was wading in the pond. I fully jumped in this semester, taking two hefty assessment courses. Ironically, for as big as the course load will be, these are my only two books for [...]

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