another year down

i can remember as a kid being excited about only 3 days during the school year---the first, the last, and of course, field day! now, it's a little different. you actually realize how fast time flies. when i sit and think about having completed 2 years towards my phd, it brings excitement but also question, doubt, and intimidation. let me explain....

i am excited to have progressed this far (and of course to be going home for the summer....phew!!!) . this degree WILL BE a major accomplishment that most only dream about. to add to that, it's cambridge (PERIOD)!!! what else do i need to say. being in europe has been an awesome experience up to this point too, and it is only going to get better as my travel itch has intensified after getting back from egypt.

the question, doubt, and intimidation all come in due to the enormous expectation i place on myself to succeed, and not take forever to do it. from this point of view, i see myself as 2/3 of the way through my degree with another 2/3 left to go probably. now add those up.............4/3. EXACTLY my point! i need to work faster and smarter while continuing to maintain the highest of standards for my work.

i have made some very satisfying and crucial progress this year, and i am very excited and pleased about where i am. but, the truth that continues to hit me is that i still have a LONG way to go before i finish. next year will be a HUGE year for me as it will help solidify how much longer it will take me to finish my degree. let's see where i am this time next year. *fingers crossed*

p.s. - and you thought i was lying when i said i wanted to change the world. there's definitely and opportunity here. A BIG ONE!!!

just a quote

"the dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. hard work is the price we must pay for success. i think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price."

- vince lombardi

p.s. - i told you this place was expensive. a friend of mine put it best: "london makes new york look like a bargain"!!!

jet-lagged but refreshed

i am still feeling the effects of traveling halfway around the world, but it was a VERY good experience. i got some much needed feedback regarding my current work and my future plans. the reassurance has definitely motivated me and given me more confidence that my work will make the impact that i envision. i made some good contacts and was able to stick a small flag in the ground relating to my phd work.

california was a nice vacation as well. great weather, nba final, and visiting with awesome friends!!! it was the recharge i needed for the heap of work i need to get done in these last few days (4) before i leave for the summer.

i get to watch the nba finals!!!

i have been so busy lately that i have failed to realize that i will get to see the majority of the nba finals live while i am in san diego!!! to put things in perspective, just think about my options: (1) - professional DARTS here in the uk or (2) - professional basketball in the us. it's an easy decision to make. i am so juiced right now.

i have finalized all of my preparation for the conference and am eager to get my first conference as a graduate student under my belt. i am confident that my poster will do well and be interesting to many. sunny southern california here i come. i am not sure that i will want to come back to cambridge though.

it's been a while

i have to apologize for my absence the last few days, but i have been more than frustrated trying to finish the poster for my presentation in san diego next week. the days were long, and the last thing on my mind was my blog. i will be making final preparations tomorrow, so i may be m.i.a. for a couple more days before the creative juices flow again.

p.s. - just ask anyone that has lost their cellphone before......make sure you back your contacts up!!!

the follow up

a quick follow-up to my thoughts from friday is that you have to "fake it 'till you make it"(whether you like it or not). with no money, you don't have much power if any. and any agendas that you want to push forward with have to wait until you have the money (which gives you the power) to carry them out. as kanye west says in his new song:

"...........wait 'til i get my money right...................then you can't tell me nothing right???........"

"reality" television

i had a random thought the other day about peoples' love for "reality" television. reality is the resemblance to what is real. i say "reality" because the realness of the shows does not accurately reflect how un-real people are in life. and at times, i am sure the "realness" that is portrayed in the shows is scripted. consider the following: people never tell you how they truly feel, most conversations are very far from genuine, individual accounts of happenings are often over-embellished, etc. i do not totally understand why people are afraid/ashamed/unwilling to do or say what they really want to (the truth), but i do realize that it exists.

this brings me to the conversation of one's "corporate persona" versus his "real persona". is this un-real representation of oneself any different even though it is a must? or, is it a justified un-real response to un-real "equal"-opportunity? just some food for thought because you may have been malnourished. i would continue but it is friday, and i'm leaving early.

this could be big trouble for me here in the uk