It is 215pm on Saturday and I am on a train heading back to Toronto. I had a lot of fun volunteering yesterday at a charity golf tournament that my Dad runs in Ottawa. It requires juggling, but I am committed to continuing to squeeze in time to give back to community.
I have been working steadily on my amendments since I boarded the training at 1030 and have made solid progress. I still have a good deal to do so I plan to take three days of vacation next week to complete the amendments because, due to work travel, I am unable to dedicate time to my thesis during the week. Even though my vacation days are dwindling, I am very focused on completed this last stage of my doctoral journey in a timely fashion. The reality that graduation is in September is an additional motivating factor!
I have been recently reflecting on the reality that the learning at each stage post the initial thesis submission is substantial. I learned a great deal more about my research topic and sharpened my quantitative methodology knowledge preparing for my VIVA. The VIVA itself had an exponential learning impact in terms of deepening my awareness of how much I did know and introducing me to some new concepts, connections, and methods. Now, as I complete my amendments, I find myself reflecting more about my topic and acquiring new knowledge. Pretty cool. That said, it will feel great when I submit the final thesis and then, hopefully, receive confirmation that the changes are acceptable. Definitely a long and winding road!!!