Summer 2017 = Good Times

You guys, I’m kind of feeling stupid happy lately.  I know it’s really obnoxious to say so, but I am and sometimes it’s nice to acknowledge that and remember these times when the wheel of fortune feels at its pinnacle (I think a lot of that Shakespeare line: “Fortune is painted blind, with a muffler afore his eyes, to signify to you that Fortune is blind; and she is painted also with a wheel, to signify to you, which is the moral of it, that she is turning, and inconstant, and mutability, and variation. And her foot, look you, is fixed upon a spherical stone, which rolls, and rolls, and rolls.”)  And then sometimes I wonder- will I recognize the happiest times of my life while I’m living them?  Or only after the fact, when I’m old and wrinkled and reflecting on my collection of memories?  It also helps to think of life as a wheel when going through the hard times- no matter how hard they’ve been, there has always been an upswing.  Eventually.

Anyway, I just got back from a really wonderful week in Croatia with some awesome humans.  I laughed so hard I cried, spent some quality time with some of my best friends from way back in Barcelona days, rented our own boat to pilot around the Croatian islands (still shocked I was allowed to do this), tipsily bought 20$ worth of candy at CAPTAIN CANDY CROATIA, took a midnight boat to a clubbing island, drank a whole bunch of schnapps with some Norwegians, practically died of heat stroke during a Game of Thrones tour in beautiful Dubrovnik, was “always the first” leaping off the boat into the beautiful crystal clear waters of the Adriatic, swam deep into a cave so dark that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, took a bike tour of Zagreb, roadtripped to the Plitvice National Parks where I pretended to be a mermaid, ate a whole lot of seafood and olive oil, and identified the differences between traveling at age 21 and age 31 (many and myriad).

But beyond that, I’m just so relieved that I finally have my life at least somewhat sorted.  I know I’ll be in Switzerland for the next three years, and I love my new coworkers and the research project I’ll be working on.  I don’t have to leave this place I’ve learned to love, along with the friends that I am sure will be lifelong.  And I can’t wait to get to know Africa a little better!  It will be a whole new continent, and I think that actually working there will help me to get a real perspective on this whole new (to me) part of the world.  I’ve already downloaded some Africa books to my kindle, but would appreciate any recommendations, non-fiction or otherwise (mainly Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso).

I’ve been working like a crazy person to finish my dissertation, and just got some great feedback during my holiday- seriously, the finish line to this whole PhD process is in sight.  It’s like I looked up and suddenly the whole puzzle is assembled around me.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a good chunk of work ahead of me, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Oh, and last but definitely not least, I met a really great guy.  That goes a long way towards putting a smile on my face 🙂  Fingers crossed this latest streak of good luck lasts!