Words About Good Things

Second Semester, Here I Come

amadanielle — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:10:54 +0000

I’m 1/4 of the way to getting my Masters degree. The second semester s less than a week away. It’s going to be a whole new experience. I’m teaching! I couldn’t be more excited–I get to start what I really want to do while I’m studying to get that PhD after my name.

Also, though, I’m a little nervous. What if I’m not good at it? That would really put a kink in my plans. It will be nice to put myself to the test though, hold up my dreams against my actual skills.

Autumn is Upon Us.

amadanielle — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:45:22 +0000

People have been telling me that there’s nothing like fall in New England. I think everybody hears it all across the country, but now that I’m here, the anticipation is growing. The weather is playing tricks on us right now–it got pretty cool, but then, this past week, the weather got hot and sticky. Walk outside and be instantly covered in sweat. The crispness is back in the air though.

In my favorite class, we’re reading Paradise, by Toni Morrison. Just a few minutes ago, I read this quote in the chapter titled “Divine”:

“You do not deserve love regardless of the suffering you have endured. You do not deserve love because somebody did you wrong. You do not deserve love just because you want it. You can only earn–by practice and careful contemplation–the right to express it and you have to learn how to accept it.”

I’m learning to love, and I’m learning not to act like I’m entitled to people’s love. I’ve received some wonderful unconditional love from my family and I have amazing friends who also love me. Having moved across the country, there are new people all around, but they don’t love me. Hopefully, though, it’s that they don’t love me, yet.

Again with the failing!

amadanielle — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:41:03 +0000

I promised myself that I would do better with the blogging when I moved. I know it’s grad school, but I’m a little lacking in a social life, so some time does exist. People that I care about might care, but if they don’t at least I’m getting my thoughts out, feeling more like someone is hearing me rather than being a little socially deprived.

The realities of being a student dictate that I have to work with a lot of priority lists. What needs to get done immediately? What can wait? I feel like I’m doing well keeping on top of things, unfortunately, I’m in a masters program that runs right along side of a doctoral program; many of my cohorts are getting their PhDs, so I find myself in catch up mode a lot. Concepts are going over my head, or at least ways of identifying connections between concepts are beyond my expertise at this point. My difficulties aren’t immediately apparent, but they will be when it comes time to turn in papers. It’s disconcerting. I’m excited about where I might go with this education, and I don’t want anyone to get in my way, but if I don’t catch up soon, I might be my own worst enemy, not having the grades that will pave the way to my next steps.

Saturday

amadanielle — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:52:08 +0000

Just a short post.

I’m just basking in what is probably one of my last truly relaxing Saturdays. I’ve spent most of my day watching TV and playing games. I’m anxious to begin classes and, honestly, I’m a bit bored, but I know that I shouldn’t dismiss the beauty of this empty Saturday too quickly. Tonight, I’m going out with my new local friends, and we have time to do it. Tomorrow, barring too much hurricane chaos, I’ll try a new church and then the week will begin and graduate school will be going at full tilt for, at least, two years. Oh the excitement of it all!

A New Adventure: Graduate School

amadanielle — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:15:45 +0000

It is the Friday before I begin grad school and a hurricane, my first hurricane experience, is on its way. As much research as I did before I headed here, there was so much about the experience that I wasn’t expecting or didn’t know, and I’m sure there’re more new, unexpected things to come. Some are just oversights in my research, other things I just couldn’t know without coming.

Navigation through this new school, new degree track, and new locale is a bit like navigating the high seas: it’s scary and rough, but exciting and full of new discoveries. The new school is overwhelmingly large. Coming from a small private (and overwhelmingly conservative) university, the first few days have been a little bit like being a new freshman again. I feel so ignorant, but thankfully not nearly so insecure.

Getting a Masters degree (especially at a Research I school) is completely different from getting a Bachelors degree. The power I have over my own success makes me nervous and excited all at once. Having an advisor is even different, I can choose to change if I want to better fit my line of research. The academic support system is strongly woven and there for the taking.

The locale, of course, brings new weather patterns. A hurricane? It’s not something that we got in the Midwest. It’s already closed down campus for the first day of classes. The hills and trees and history built into this area distracts me while I’m on the road–I just want to look and soak it all in. This is the start of two years to do just that: soaking in the area and gaining a higher level of education.

Stressing

amadanielle — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 05:02:28 +0000

I received my orientation schedule today…and instructions to choose classes. On. My. Own. I thought I’d get an advisor for that. But no. So I’ve started to work my way through the muck. I want to study communication theory, mostly in fiction. The comm classes are easy, but what about fiction? I’m working on it.

Let a New Journey Begin

amadanielle — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:44:47 +0000

I’ve spent several months being pretty close lipped about what’s coming up in my life because I wasn’t ready to give notice at work yet. I’m going to graduate school for Communication at the University of Connecticut. I’m equal parts excited and terrified. It’s been a long time getting here, but there’s still a long way to go.

Last week I went to Storrs to find an apartment. It was a frustrating search, but I’ve got a cute little (emphasis on little) place in the upstairs of a nice little old lady’s ancestral home. I listened to a dissertation defense while I was there too, and it just confirmed for me that I’m headed exactly where I want to be going in every sense of the phrase.

So as we start the countdown, what’s left to do? Scholarship essays! Scrounging up extra money in as many ways as possible (short of illegal and immoral). And then there’s the packing… I drive a tiny Mazda, my whole two bedroom apartment (minus the furniture) has to fit in there for the 15 hour drive across half the country. There’s the saying goodbye. There’s finding a job in CT. There’s scheduling classes. There’s…there’s a lot. But I’m happy to be on my way.

Looking at the Bright Side, All Year Long

amadanielle — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 21:04:54 +0000

For the past few months, I’ve been striving to look at life more optimistically. I was bored with where I was at and what I was doing, so it was really something I needed to work on. When I try, I don’t have trouble being excited even about the smallest of things, but it’s putting forth and effort that sometimes gets left by the wayside.

I’m starting a new job tomorrow, and I’m excited about it. I don’t want to lose that excitement, so I’m going to continue looking for the good things even when this new job starts to be routine. It’s an attitude that I’m striving to make my lifestyle, because complaining is so easy. I do it too often. This year is looking great: new job and I’m starting to look for a house and today, the first Sunday of the year, I made a new friend at church. I’m headed to the gym. I have a coffee date with a friend. There’s not any reason to not be happy about today, and there’s not any reason to think that this year isn’t going to be great.

Time Well Spent

amadanielle — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:44:46 +0000

I’m exhausted. It’s ok though, because I enjoyed the time I spent being awake too late last night. As I mentioned yesterday, last night was a trip to Chicago to see Wicked. I’m again amazed (this was the second time I’d seen the show) by the effects and lighting that created a mind blowing show. The story and the actors are good, but it’s the staging that really makes Wicked fantastic in my book.

The countdown to the end of the work day has begun (15 minutes!) and that’s a reason to smile. My couch is calling me.

Oops. I Took an Accidental Break.

amadanielle — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:19:56 +0000

Christmas is already past. The New Year is nearly here. I can’t believe how fast the holidays have come and almost past. I’m excited for the new year for so many reasons. I’ve been smiling all through the holidays too.

Part of my blogging break was my time at my grandma’s, one of my favorite parts of Christmas. (She doesn’t have the internet or a computer.) All of my aunts and uncles live nearby. Most of my cousins and their children were a part of the festivities. At the main event–Christmas dinner and present time–we crammed 33 people into my grandma’s small living room. The best part is watching my cousins’ kids open their presents and then quickly become enthralled with the wrapping paper rather than the gifts.

Christmas with my immediate family was really great too. Breakfast and lunch were two of my favorite foods. Waffles, then steak. For me, it doesn’t get much better than a day off from work that includes my family (getting along well), my favorite foods, and presents.

Enough recap.

What are you excited about?

This morning I was excited about the trees. They looked perfectly like winter trees should against a grayish-blue sky. This isn’t my picture, but this is how perfect they looked.

Tonight, I’m excited for Wicked.

And I’m excited for the three books I picked up at the library last night:

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott

Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates

Also, I’ve started house hunting. I’m collecting as many tips as I can, and getting very excited.