The Countdown Begins!

The official countdown has begun. I will be submitting my file for the first stage of the tenure and promotion process the end of this summer! At the moment I’m not stressing about the process since I’ve been extremely busy lately with projects and 2 (not one!) research projects that I would like to pursue this summer. Am I nuts! I don’t plan to take any vacation days this summer. Colleagues are wondering where all this energy comes from. The simple answer is that it comes from motherhood! That year I was off on maternity leave left me, how can I say this in a politically correct way?, starving for intellectual stimulation. No one tells you that you might be bored out of your wits while staying home with a newborn. I guess women are worried that if they express their mixed emotions about being a mother that somehow reflects poorly on their own role as mothers. I acknowledged that I couldn’t wait to get back to work and have conversations with people who could actually converse with me. I got over the guilt and was pleasantly surprised at how much energy I had once I returned to work. So far that energy is still alive and propelling me toward accomplishing my goals. I hope it lasts the summer, because I have A LOT to do!

The Countdown Begins!

The official countdown has begun. I will be submitting my file for the first stage of the tenure and promotion process the end of this summer! At the moment I’m not stressing about the process since I’ve been extremely busy lately with projects and 2 (not one!) research projects that I would like to pursue this summer. Am I nuts! I don’t plan to take any vacation days this summer. Colleagues are wondering where all this energy comes from. The simple answer is that it comes from motherhood! That year I was off on maternity leave left me, how can I say this in a politically correct way?,  starving for intellectual stimulation. No one tells you that you might be bored out of your wits while staying home with a newborn. I guess women are worried that if they express their mixed emotions about being a mother that somehow reflects poorly on their own role as mothers. I acknowledged that I couldn’t wait to get back to work and have conversations with people who could actually converse with me. I got over the guilt and was pleasantly surprised at how much energy I had once I returned to work. So far that energy is still alive and propelling me toward accomplishing my goals. I hope it lasts the summer, because I have A LOT to do!