Change of Pace

A view of the Turku archipelago in the frigid weather. PC: Sami

All of my time in the past month has been spent with doing one of two things: preparing for next year and making sure I get done with this year. The flurry of activity has been a welcome change to the rather luxuriously slow pace that had been defining my days up until now but in the process, this blog has fallen by the wayside. So what are these many things that have been taking up my time? 


1.     Ice skating

This is by far not what has occupied most of my time, but I think it has been the most refreshing. Last year I went ice skating only once and, as thrilling as it was, never got around to going again. Plus, the weather last year was so mild that you had to take advantage of cold days when they came to get much time on the ice. This year has been much better and ice skating has been a great excuse to bring people together. It’s this year’s version of chai. Thanks to my mother, four years of ice skating lessons make this an enjoyable rather than stressful activity and I can even play hockey (or more accurately, play around with a puck) sometimes with my hockey loving boyfriend. The following video was taken by a friend while we skated on Turku's "worm."

2.     Thesis

Working on my thesis has shaped my weekdays and some weekends. The analysis phase was rife with uncertainty as I continuously felt I did not know what I was doing. It helped to hear that other colleagues said they felt the same but what has helped most has been my advisor. His constant patience and understanding has made it easier to approach him with what I think are issues I should be figuring out on my own but have no idea how to begin approaching. In our last meeting, when I apologized for not articulating what I had been doing well enough, he said that learning how to articulate the process was just part of the process of becoming a researcher.

3.     Event planning

This semester has been about planning events important for the community, one for the general Turku community and one for our program community. Both have been very different experiences and have taught me quite a bit about working in groups in ways that class projects never did. I have learned how important it is to check your own ego when working in a committee, which sometimes means constantly reflecting on my own motivations for saying the things I say or do. I have also learned how important it is to remember other people’s egos are at play and to balance as delicately and carefully as possibly while keeping the goal of the event in mind. And most of all, I have learned the benefits and limitations of working with a group.

4.     Planning for next year

I applied to a few places for a PhD and have been considering my options. When I’m not feeling anxious about all of it, it is rather exciting.