By the time July is over, I will have taken five and a half days off this month. Nothing unusual for a summer month, right? The problem is that five of those days will have been to stay home and study; ugh. (By the way, the last half-day is for going down to
But that’s not all. My other course unit this summer is actually an independent study, which I have chosen to do on transit-oriented development in Bryn Mawr, about a hospital’s plans for expansion within a mostly residential neighborhood, and the community’s response, with all the attendant economic and political dynamics that go along. It’s a fascinating story, to be sure, but again a ton of work: reams of readings just to get familiar with the subject matter, interviews and long hours at the local library, far too many hours of footage of public hearings and panel discussions. I’ve got about two weeks to get my head around this assignment and crank out a paper that will most likely end up in the 50-75 page realm.
Fortunately, I have an easy day job. No wait, I don’t. Life continues to be crazy at my workplace, as I frantically try to manage multiple departments and ready the systems to continue in my permanent absence. Thankfully, this frenetic juggling of work and school comes to an end by the end of this month, when I get a one-month break from coursework, after which by the time I resume my studies I will be done at the office. But then, of course, a new juggling act (hopefully) begins: prepping our home and our hearts (and the regular rhythm of our daily schedules) for a little one, who will change everything when she arrives. I can’t wait.
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