Musings and Mumblings...

I've only managed to publish a new post every couple of months, so it must appear as though perhaps there's not much I would care to write about. However, the truth is I have much to say, and many experiences I'd love to share. The final year of my PhD is proving to be very challenging -- mostly because I feel left in the dark by my supervisors as to the real status of my work. I have no choice but to focus on each day at the lab, and one project at a time. I'm still confident of reaching my goal here, but I just don't have an accurate pulse on my progress meter. I suppose I'm doing just fine in my work, but I wish it felt a bit more significant.

Additionally, the regular exercise schedule, while thoroughly revitalizing, requires commitment, too. Sometimes I wish I had the time to train like a professional athlete. On the positive side, though, I do have far more time for fitness here than I did back in the States. Exercise is a fantastic distraction from the rigors of everyday life. At least when I finish a decent run with improved timing, I feel a sense of accomplishment, which makes up for not feeling that way about my research. Honestly, I never realized how out of shape I had become until we moved here (and I was still in better shape than many of my peers).

We have also been doing much more cooking from scratch, nearly every night. Those meals are always the best, but preparation does take time. Even so, it's become more of a ritual for us, a transitional period from our day to winding down to a television show or two. On the weekends, we usually buy some bulk vegetables and fruit, then make some large dish that we eat all week. Given the space constraints of most homes here, meals from scratch with fresh food is the only way to go. There's simply not enough space to store lots of processed foods.

The weather of the subtropics is very easy to adapt to. We often have picture-perfect days where it's a given that we must get outside for awhile, whether for leisure or fitness. With pleasant weather being such a regular occurrence here, we will be very hard-pressed to go anywhere else.

That pretty much sums up the pattern of our lives, which won't change much for at least the next six months. We are fortunate that despite all the turmoil in the modern world, we have little to complain about, and life is generally good. Post-PhD, I expect to write far more often here, and may very well take the blog to further levels.