Over Labor Day weekend I had the great pleasure of having delicious waffles with our own @geoarchandlush and @mackenziecremeans. A long overdue reunion and celebration for Mack returning to the area.
Between bites, our conversation varied from one thing to another from tornadoes, hurricanes, life in and out of graduate school, professional relationships, recent experiences in our professional lives, and hopes and dreams pertaining to our futures in the world of academia, research, and industry. For much of the conversation, I sat back and listened, observing the passion, motivations, and frustrations associated with each topic, but despite being quiet myself, my brain was churning. I was appreciating this time with friends, away from my computer, away from my data, just away, even if only for a few hours.
Although much of the conversation circled back to graduate school woes and similar things, it was theraputic to be with these wonderful ladies who have been with me since starting graduate school in Kansas years ago. We have each had wildly different experiences with our different advisors and research focuses, but at the end of the day, we’re all women fighting for that PhD at the end of our names. Mack, the youngest and brightest of us all, secured those three letters first, but Leila and I working hard for that walk down the hill later this academic year, even if it kills us (and honestly it really feels that way sometimes).
This brunch served as a valuable reminder to me the importance of your tribe or squad or whatever you want to call it. We’re all Lady Geos working hard and we’re here to help build each other up, not tear each other down. We each have our own journey, and even though we’re working toward the same goal, we’re here for each other and will be through it all.
Thank you @geoarchandlush and @mackenziecremeans for being my phd tribe! I am looking forward to our future adventures in coffee and waffles.
My Life in the Geosciences 