new blog: http://wagonwheelsrollalong.blogspot.com/

Wagon wheels! Thank you to some of my favorite musicians for the name idea.

DONE (mostly)

I still can't believe it, but of course I can, that I submitted my dissertation! I was very lucky to find a friend at the Evolution meetings who lives in Vancouver and has a child TM's age. She pointed out a day camp program to me, and TM has been going there for 3hrs/day. That gave me enough time to finish edits on the dissertation.

While wondering what I should do with the rest of my life, I ran into a webpage by a researcher who does green roofs, and I was hooked. Green roofs -- that's my next adventure. I don't know how I'll work it into my life yet, be it a postdoc or consulting or internships or what, but green roofs it is. It's amazing that I don't have to constantly think about my research, and about which hoops I have to jump through next. Do I have all my paperwork in? Okay, I take it back -- there's still paperwork out there. 'Till I get the hot little paper in my hot little hands, there will be a bit of possibility that I'll have to put out some fires. BUT…I'm freeeee!!!

I asked my advisor if I could get him anything, and he said "publish those papers." So yup, of course, I'll finish up those two papers and work hard to get them published. But I have my degree! Thank God, really, 'cause without Him I really don't think it would've worked. I started in Oregon with Q, then Q finished his postdoc and went to business school, then he got an internship in Maryland, so off he went and I stayed in OR. After a year of that, I got pregnant with TM and 3mo before she was due, we packed most of what we owned into a storage unit and drove me across the country. TM and I lived in MD for about year, then Q finished his internships (yes, he got another internship while in MD) and got a job in California. We lived with my parents for awhile, then my aunt said we could stay with her, and we ended up staying there until we'd spend about a year in CA, if I'm remembering right. In CA I always managed to find someone through friends, family, and recommendations from family to help me with TM while I worked. Then the India opportunity came along and we jumped at it, and TM and I were there 2 years. TM had a great school while we were there, giving me time to work work work. Then the Vancouver BC chance came along, and we were excited about that, so off we went, and I kept working away. Spend 2mo with my parents, finishing the dissertation, while TM played with her cousins, yay mom! Then moved to BC, took a couple trips to Portland to defend and go to the Evolution meetings, then found a day camp for Maya, finished the dissertation, and voila! Three countries later, finished! So yes, thank God. I've been working towards this thing ever since I graduated with my BS. 10 years. Done! (mostly)!

I think I'll close this blog now. I may end up doing a postdoc or work in the community or something, but whatever I do, it won't be quite the long haul I had for my PhD. So I'll call my new blog something to do with life in general :). Good-bye "PhD dissertation With Kid", it's been amazing.