Update

A lot has happened in the past month. I finished my internship and have moved back to be with my husband. In addition, school started two weeks ago and all my activities are back into full swing. I have to admit, I'm finding it a little difficult to adjust back to this life and I'm lacking some serious focus and motivation.

While most of our things are unpacked and we're essentially moved into the new apartment, there are a few lingering boxes and a serious lack of decoration. While I would love to be able to go to any store and buy what I want to make this feel like a home for us, I know I can't do that right now. My husband still has not found a new job and while we have started to receive unemployment benefits, our budget is still very tight. Nonetheless, we've been finding ways to entertain ourselves without spending too much money. Just yesterday we drove up to one of the "local" state parks for a short 2 mile hike. My husband also took pictures and collected information to use in his hiking/backpacking blog (http://www.examiner.com/x-11420-Columbia-Backpacking-Examiner).

On top of my "normal" obligations, I've added several new commitments to my already busy schedule. I know what you're probably thinking--why would I try to cram more things into less time? For me, at least in my younger years, it was easier to keep motivated and productive when I had a multitude of activities and responsibilities. I didn't have time to procrastinate, so everything got finished on time or even early. I'm still hoping to get back to that old me.

Over the next few posts, I'll revisit some of the goals I set for myself when I first started this blog so that I can evaluate any progress I've made. But for now, I think I'll start by writing some to do lists.

Left Behind

I've been feeling like life has been passing me by lately. I started to feel this way when I realized I'm the only one in my group of friends who is working towards a Ph.D. While everyone else is moving on with their life (jobs, marriage, buying a house, having babies), I feel like I'm standing still. I feel like I'm being restricted by the choices I've made in addition to holding my husband back from his own career aspirations. There are just no job opportunities in his field where we live.

Will it be worth it in the end?
What am I really gaining by earning a Ph.D.?
Why can't I just be happy with the path I've chosen and be proud of all my accomplishments?

WHAT IF I'VE MADE A MISTAKE?