Happy Easter!

Unbelievably, it is snowing in Haarlem. So, we didn't get a white Christmas, but 2008 is giving us a white Easter. How bizarre.

I've taken a break, gone into hiding, and neglected blogging for the past couple weeks. First it was in an effort to give myself some recovery time from writing my first PhD chapter and then because I had to get back into the habit. Surprisingly, this break has taught me a little lesson. Originally, blogging seemed like something to amuse myself. You know, the girl who dreamed of writing but never really got around to it was actually putting words into the world on a regular basis - excellent! But now I've realized that I've actually been getting quite a bit back from my little daily blogging experiment. Namely, wonderfully unexpected responses from you!

One of the challenges of starting my PhD and teaching simultaneously is a lack of interaction and reaction. Let's face it, it's tough to have a normal conversation about the articles I'm reading and my critical response to them. Even worse, to chat over dinner about my concerns or thoughts regarding the general direction of my chapter or entire dissertation. And students, bless them, aren't the worlds greatest source of positive affirmation. So, I find myself facing the challenge of keeping myself motivated to do work that feels quite solitary. That's where blogging has come in.

Without my realizing it, blogging has given me a way to interact with a few people (ok, three or four?) who read and respond to my random thoughts and ideas. It's encouraging and exciting. So, I'm going to have to renew my resolve... after all, life is a learning process. I'll start working on trying to blog daily again. Thanks, y'all, for all your comments, past and future. This is getting to be fun!