It's been an eventful week. I had a great 4th of July weekend that involved a fancy party on Lake Syracuse (which included 3 awesome dogs for me to play with - I think Kevin is set on getting a greyhound someday based on his experience with one that was at the party), a more casual party at my grandparents' house in La Porte, and then fireworks on Lake Wawasee. You really can't beat Indiana in the summertime, especially if you have access to some water.
On Tuesday I went up to Evanston to have a discussion with the professor I'll work with next year, two of the research professors he works with, and another student who will work with my professor but in the clinical psychology program at Northwestern (my professor has a joint appointment, so he works with people in my program and with people in the psychology program). We talked about a chapter the professor wrote for a book that's coming out. It was a good visit. They had some snacks set out, the discussion was interesting, and a few of us went out for a beer together afterward. I was nervous until I got there and the discussion started. I don't feel like I was particularly great with them - it's been a long time since I've had a very academic discussion! I tend to second-guess everything I say in a new situation, but I told myself this time that these people will have about five years to get to know me. Whether I made a great impression, a terrible one, or anything in-between, they'll know the real me eventually.
Other than that, I just continue fluctuating between excitement over this next step and nervousness about it. In the last few weeks I've found myself jealous of people who know exactly where they'll be and what they'll be doing for the forseeable future. My cousin Katie and her husband Andy, for example, have this beautiful house, two wonderful kids, and jobs at the same company near my hometown. Amy is babysitting for them this summer, and I went over to visit her while she was working. For a little while, I would have loved to just switch places with them. Same thing with my best friend Lindsey. She and her husband have a GREAT house in Indianapolis, an adorable daughter, and jobs they like and can stay in for awhile. Sometimes I would love to be in a position like that instead of one where I live apart from my husband and have no idea where I'll be in six years. I know, though, that there will be plenty of time to settle in somewhere. There are good and bad things about any choice a person makes, and I really do believe I'm making the one that's right for me.
Showing posts with label professor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label professor. Show all posts
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
5 Year College Reunion - Brady
Kevin and I went to our 5 year college reunion last weekend. I had a lot of fun - it was so weird and good to see all the people I graduated with again. I also had a great conversation with my favorite professor, Andrea Sununu. She basically urged me to not worry about finding a job after graduate school since the decision to go has already been made, and encouraged me to just focus on doing well when I'm there. She also made it sound like she thought jobs would be out there when I (eventually) graduate. Also, just being at DePauw made me really excited for school and to be a professor. I remembered how much I like reading, writing, and doing research and how at home I feel on a college campus (aren't they the best places in the world?).
By the time I go to my 10 year reunion, I should be done or almost done with my PhD! Whoa.
In other news, Kelly should have landed in Chicago by now. She left Charlotte this morning. Hopefully she'll give us an update of her move when she gets a minute.
Here are some pictures from the reunion weekend with one of my college graduation.
The board where they post names so you know which of your classmates have arrived. We were the first ones there. Geeks. Also, aren't small colleges adorable?
One of the dorms I lived in.
The first dorm I lived in.
East college. I took a bunch of classes, went to tons of talks, and defended my senior thesis here. Kevin and I had to leave early to get to a wedding. That's why we're all dolled up at 9 a.m.
The room I lived in senior year at my sorority.
Marvin's. Classic DePauw food. No visit back is complete without it, although I think I still might be recovering from eating so much of it.
Well thank you very much, friendly lamppost sign. I'm happy to be here.
The dorm room we got to stay in. Hey - does anyone remember how GROSS dorm bathrooms are? I do.
The "Greek Pride" and "Met and Married" ribbons we got to wear.
From our graduation with Dr. Andrea Sununu. We met in her class and have stayed in close contact with her since we left.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Revolving Door - Brady
In the comment I made about Amy's last post, I referred to our potential apartment as "having a revolving door." Here are the wonderful circumstances and coincidences I hope will make that the case:
- Kevin and I lived in Chicago for two years before we moved to Fort Wayne and loved it.
- Many of our siblings and friends heard us talk about how much we loved Chicago. A year into living there, Kevin's sister Lesley called us and said she had accepted a job offer downtown.
- Lesley got together with Paul, my now future-brother-in-law and all-around great guy, right before she moved to Chicago. He accepted a job in the suburbs (sorry Paul, I can't remember exactly which one - Barrington maybe?).
- Lesley and Paul got engaged and bought a condo in Arlington Heights, a suburb northwest of the city.
- Kevin and I moved to Fort Wayne.
- Paul switched jobs and started working downtown near Lesley.
- Missing Chicago a lot, I looked especially hard at graduate schools there.
- Kelly, missing her home region of the country and loving Chicago too, applied for jobs in Chicago and New York and preferenced Chicago.
- On February 6th at 7:37 p.m., I got a text message from Kelly saying, "I got the job in chicago!!"
- On February 11th at school I got an email from the professor I applied to work with at Northwestern asking me to call him. After a brief interview, he told me I'd been accepted.
- I still went to a recruitment weekend both there and at University of Michigan to make a more informed decision, but chose Chicago pretty quickly - I emailed all of the schools where I'd applied on February 26th to tell them where I was going.
- Amy told us she was going to look for jobs both in Chicago and La Porte. The three of us decided to live together if we all ended up in the city.
- Roger, Amy's boyfriend, found a job in Lombard, another Chicago suburb.
- After a lot of conversation, Kevin and I decided he would continue with his job in Fort Wayne and that we would travel back and forth to see each other every week.
- We broke the news to our families that I would be moving to Chicago, Kevin and I would be living apart half of the time, and that I'd be moving in at least with Kelly.
So there it is. I've got my husband, all of my siblings, siblings-in-law, and siblings' significant others in my favorite city at least part of the time. The apartment will be crazy. Kevin will be there often, Amy will be there either all or part of the time, and I bet Lesley and Paul will come stay with us if they're in the city late and need a place to crash. Add to that all of our friends who we want to come and visit and our parents (especially my dad, the city wanderer), and it will be a full house!
- Kevin and I lived in Chicago for two years before we moved to Fort Wayne and loved it.
- Many of our siblings and friends heard us talk about how much we loved Chicago. A year into living there, Kevin's sister Lesley called us and said she had accepted a job offer downtown.
- Lesley got together with Paul, my now future-brother-in-law and all-around great guy, right before she moved to Chicago. He accepted a job in the suburbs (sorry Paul, I can't remember exactly which one - Barrington maybe?).
- Lesley and Paul got engaged and bought a condo in Arlington Heights, a suburb northwest of the city.
- Kevin and I moved to Fort Wayne.
- Paul switched jobs and started working downtown near Lesley.
- Missing Chicago a lot, I looked especially hard at graduate schools there.
- Kelly, missing her home region of the country and loving Chicago too, applied for jobs in Chicago and New York and preferenced Chicago.
- On February 6th at 7:37 p.m., I got a text message from Kelly saying, "I got the job in chicago!!"
- On February 11th at school I got an email from the professor I applied to work with at Northwestern asking me to call him. After a brief interview, he told me I'd been accepted.
- I still went to a recruitment weekend both there and at University of Michigan to make a more informed decision, but chose Chicago pretty quickly - I emailed all of the schools where I'd applied on February 26th to tell them where I was going.
- Amy told us she was going to look for jobs both in Chicago and La Porte. The three of us decided to live together if we all ended up in the city.
- Roger, Amy's boyfriend, found a job in Lombard, another Chicago suburb.
- After a lot of conversation, Kevin and I decided he would continue with his job in Fort Wayne and that we would travel back and forth to see each other every week.
- We broke the news to our families that I would be moving to Chicago, Kevin and I would be living apart half of the time, and that I'd be moving in at least with Kelly.
So there it is. I've got my husband, all of my siblings, siblings-in-law, and siblings' significant others in my favorite city at least part of the time. The apartment will be crazy. Kevin will be there often, Amy will be there either all or part of the time, and I bet Lesley and Paul will come stay with us if they're in the city late and need a place to crash. Add to that all of our friends who we want to come and visit and our parents (especially my dad, the city wanderer), and it will be a full house!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Biggie Figures Out the Internet
Ha, okay I really don't want to go by "Biggie" forever on this blog.
Yay, I figured out how to post! Thanks to Kelly for getting the blog set up.
I am super excited to live with Kelly and Amy. However, in the last week or so my naturally nervous personality has made me have...hmmm "second thoughts" is too strong of a word...but quite a bit of anxiety about this big life change.
It's not so much a problem with living away from my husband Kevin or about the work grad school entails. I'm not sure what's getting me - I think it's a realization that I'm making a pretty big, somewhat final life choice (pursuing a career as a professor). I think it's also just nerves about the unknown. I never deal well with that.
So, hello blog-world. My name is Brady and right now I'm feeling very nervous but also optimistic. I think if you keep reading you will discover that's my mood most of the time.
-Brady
Yay, I figured out how to post! Thanks to Kelly for getting the blog set up.
I am super excited to live with Kelly and Amy. However, in the last week or so my naturally nervous personality has made me have...hmmm "second thoughts" is too strong of a word...but quite a bit of anxiety about this big life change.
It's not so much a problem with living away from my husband Kevin or about the work grad school entails. I'm not sure what's getting me - I think it's a realization that I'm making a pretty big, somewhat final life choice (pursuing a career as a professor). I think it's also just nerves about the unknown. I never deal well with that.
So, hello blog-world. My name is Brady and right now I'm feeling very nervous but also optimistic. I think if you keep reading you will discover that's my mood most of the time.
-Brady
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