29 - monday

I'm finishing up the first draft of my master's thesis this morning. it's a project I've been working on hard since late august (admittedly, some days and weeks spent working less hard than others). it's been intellectually challenging, because I am conducting original quantitative research, something I've never done before. it's been interpersonally challenging, because I am serving as a research policy fellow to an organization eight states away. as such, I haven't always had the greatest guidance on the project. it's made me a more independent decision maker (I ditched my training wheels months ago) to have to decide for myself what shape my own project will take.

in a few weeks, I will stand up in front of a room full of my professors, my classmates, and policy professionals from across the country to present and defend my work. the importance of this conference makes my summer practicum presentation seem like a puppet show. what? no. I'm not stressed about it at all.

and so, without further ado: an ode to fresh air.

"independent original research" and "working hard" really just means I often spend 14+ hours a day looking at my computer screen.  (and then I wonder why my back and neck and brain hurt so much all the time..hmm). 

this morning it was, for the third day in a row, foggy and rainy and dark and miserable.  I fought that 5am alarm clock like a champion, but it won me over. grumble, grumble. in some desperate attempt to get the teensiest bit of natural light in my life, I've moved myself to the dining room table so that I can see out the windows. 

and look! the clouds parted, the sun came out, illuminating the tiny white flowers covering the tree outside.  I flung open the window as dramatically as possible, pushed up the screen, and stuck my head outside. to breathe. and to take this picture of sunlight and new life and to capture what the glorious clean-scent of spring air looks like. is there anything more energizing?