Day 1: July 1, 2014

My office and dissertation incubation center for the next 62 days.

There's a lot of non-dissertation related tasks to complete before I dare to dust off the prospectus and start cracking the books. Today's list includes:

1. Putting the a/c in the window (an absolute necessity on this 100-degree heat index day).
2. Setting up the computer and peripherals (I guess this post is proof that I've already done that).
3. Going food shopping to fill the fridge and pantry with healthy food and snacks so I'm not tempted to go out and grab a quick bite every time the hunger pangs hit.
4. Lugging all the pertinent books up to the new writing room.
5. Hanging a poster I had made from one of my favorite hiking photos that I took last year on the Finger Lakes Trail. It will serve both as something soothing to look at and as motivation to write, write, write so I can get out on the trail once in a while this summer.
6. Tying up a couple of loose ends I forgot about yesterday.
7. Getting caught up on laundry so it's not a distraction for the rest of this week.

I'm having very mixed feelings about this quest. I'm excited about finishing the degree and about possibly lending my own contribution to the ongoing scholarly conversations about theology, disability, and ecclesiology. But I'm worried about having the necessary discipline to stay focused and actually get the writing done. Will I be able to shift my brain in "student" gear again? 

I also know I'm going to miss the people (and especially the staff) of Broad St. UMC something fierce. I hope they stay in touch . . .

That's enough contemplation for today.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Lao-tzu

Oh, Lord, I hope it's not that long . . .