Peace and Planning

As we kick off a season of reflection and thanks, it’s hard not to be awestruck by all I have to be grateful for.

I somehow landed in the exact PhD program I needed to offer me the perspective I was yearning for. I ended up with an incredible dissertation chair who believes in my work, challenges me to think in different ways, and keeps me focused on the signal rather than distracted by the noise. I have a second reader who is a patient and thoughtful mentor inside and outside the classroom. Other faculty in my program are supportive of my work and always up for a conversation simply because they care about my development as a scholar. Terrific doctoral students in my program buoy my spirits whenever we reconnect, and an amazing group of PhD students from across the university holds me accountable (and sane) with weekly writing sessions. I’m continuously inspired by masters students who remind me of the importance of staying connected to practice, and I’ve had the pleasure of leading two learning communities (with an opportunity to teach a third class this spring) with bright, curious, and kind undergraduate students. I’ve been given guidance and encouragement from dozens of researchers willing to take my calls or chat at conferences merely out of the goodness of their hearts and a shared commitment to cultivating more caring communities.

I can get to school riding my bike or the Metro, I have beautiful workspaces at home and on campus, and friends’ impromptu requests for mental health walks are possible given the flexibility I’m afforded in academia. I have a generous partner who graciously and eagerly supports me in more ways than I can count, a mom who is putting her adolescent cheerleading skills to the most heartwarming use, and loved ones who bear with my insufferable dissertating self. This is to say nothing of the lucky breaks I’ve encountered, the good health I’ve been so fortunate to have, and the million other elements that have given me an immense amount of privilege.

This work is truly a gift – big, heavy, and with seemingly unending layers of wrapping paper – but one I wake up motivated to sit and struggle with every day. The fact that people actually read and engage with my work is the bow on top that truly humbles me.

There will be more Car Blanche to come, but in the meantime wishing you a winter season filled with wonder, warmth, and work you find worthwhile 🤍