January Update

I think that many fellows would agree (at least the friends in the program that I have spoken with have agreed), I seriously cannot believe that it is January. At Princeton, everything was on a schedule. I counted everything. This many days until this midterm. This many hours left to post a response. This many paragraphs required. This many hours to sleep . . . You get the picture. And I always ended up with the same conclusion: there is just not enough time at Princeton to do everything that you want or feel necessary to do.

On Saturday morning (clearly, post Princeton), I slept in as if I had nothing hanging over my head, no looming schedule with no time crunch. I woke up to a bunch of snow with the freedom to say: what do I want to do today? That simple freedom was invigorating, peaceful--I chose to go out and run in the snow like a kid. While admiring the snow, it finally felt as though the depths of winter had hit. And after the kid-like excitement rubbed off, I reflected upon the fact that I have worked for over 7 months. Time flies when you are not counting, not wishing time to fly by.

When you are content with your job, the projects that you are working on, and how you are allocating time, you worry less. Period. I know that this post is bordering on over-the-top. Maybe I have already passed that point. I am to the point in my fellowship that I am not nervous to approach my directors with a concern or thought (time permitting). I have a job that, overall, I feel as though I am providing and not taking from the world. I am learning and growing in my career aspirations. And I still have time to come home, regroup, and recharge.

January has been a good month.