12 Months

The other day I received a package in the mail from the BYU library. It contained my thesis, nicely bound in a blue cover and looking nice and official. I'm still somewhat in a state of shock that I really don't have to do anything else. I'm done. I have defended my thesis, passed all my tests, and graduated. I still don't feel worthy. What that really means is that the thesis cloud has lifted and I can move on to other projects. I have two children, so obviously I won't be spending lots of time on new things, but the freedom is exhilarating. So here are some of the things I would like to get done during the next year (after which I will probably be back in school):

1. Read a lot of books.

This probably shouldn't even be a goal. It will happen whether I plan on it or not. I'm an addict. I'm trying to decide if I want to be read some of the critical theory and some of the major works of Spanish and other world literatures that I am unversed in, or if I should just keep up my program of reading whatever strikes my fancy and shows up on my hold list at the library first. We'll see what happens; probably a mix of both. I'm still in recovery from my MA right now.

2. Watch more movies

Again, this will happen. I'm also trying to fill in some of my knowledge gaps here; I'm not sure Mr. Fob is as enthused. When I offered him the choice of a Spanish film or a Taiwanese one tonight, he opted to work on homework. Hmm....

3. Finish S-Boogie's scrapbook

In a fit of madness I started creating a scrapbook-style baby book for S-Boogie. Since it is still unfinished, you can imagine how enthused I am about the project. I need to just finish it (I'd like to get through the first year) and find a different system for the rest of her photos as well as a chronicle of Little Dude's life.

4. Finish cross-stitch project

I actually really like counted cross-stitch. However, it takes a bit of time and it's somewhat complicated to set everything up. It's great for doing while watching movies or TV on DVD. One problem I have with it is that I tend to pick it up for a while, and then forget about it for a few years. I have one project I've been working on for a number of years now that is close to finishing. I also think it would look really cute in a little girl's room, so I should probably finish it before she's big enough to choose her own decor.

5. Get in better shape

This is always a long-term, nebulous goal. I would like to establish an exercise habit and make it stick. In theory I should probably eat more healthily, but I don't know how likely to happen that is.

6. Submit an article or two for publication

I have at least one paper that I was supposed to submit last year, but I never got around to revising it. I think it would be wise to try and keep adding to my CV when I'm not actually in school.

7. Study another language

I got away with fulfilling the second language requirement for my MA by counting the fact that I took four semesters of Italian before my mission. However, for a PhD I need evidence that I have reading knowledge of one or two other languages. I should probably get a jump start on this before starting school.

Um, I think that's it. I think it will be interesting next summer to see how much of this actually gets done. It's always good to have some goals, even if you know you're going to fall short.