Belle Renee

Today I sit at my desk with 15 weeks, 180 hours of class, 135 graded speeches, and 150 pages of writing behind me. (That 150 pages figure is not an exaggeration; I just opened all the papers I wrote and counted.)

This semester was the hardest 15 weeks of my life. In addition to adjusting to PhD level work, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and struggled with panic attacks. My cat is still sick, my checking account is lower than it’s been all year, my pro-bono work with 20sb has ramped up, and I am still having trouble sleeping.

Despite all this, I feel triumphant. The last 15 weeks have not only been an intellectual challenge, I’ve been challenged in other ways.

….It’s been a social challenge to make new friends at my new school.

….It’s been a time management challenge to figure out how to finish all my work when there aren’t enough hours.

….It’s been a prioritization challenge to identify and articulate what my priorities are and how to honor them.

I’ve been out of my comfort zone for 15 weeks. I’ve identified a need for control precisely when I’ve felt the most out of control. But, you know what? I made it.

I made it.

15 weeks later, I feel like I belong. I feel like I can do this. I feel like I’m where I need to be. If I can get through these 15 weeks, I can get through anything.

So, welcome me back to my blog. Tell me what I’ve missed.