I can’t believe it’s been four weeks already. It’s gone in a flash. I feel like I’ve done so much and nothing at all. There’s still that sense of trying to get my bearings: figuring out what courses I should be taking, which seminars, workshops, or conferences might be worth my time, and what on earth is happening with my research plan, which seems to grow and shrink by the day. Basically, I feel as though I’m looking in a million directions at once, trying to figure out which path to focus on first.

That being said, looking back over the week, I can see I got a lot done: reading, watching lectures online, attending meetings, and even a workshop on EndNote. Finally, it makes sense, and I have somewhere to store a digital record of all my sources. Yippee! Do I trust it completely? No — I’ve seen what one wrong click can do — but it’s a growing relationship.

I also had my first supervisor meeting this week, which was less intimidating than I expected, though I still feel like I babbled on with nerves. Still, I have a better sense now of what to expect going forward, and it was wonderful to get some direction and ideas for the next steps with my research plan.

The “why” question, though, is keeping me up at night. Why is this particular research of interest, or important? Somewhere in my head there’s a coherent answer, but it isn’t so coherent once I try to put it into words, spoken or written. That’s the big issue at the moment — that, and a more succinct methodology, and cutting down the overflow of different terms. Today I made a plan for the weeks leading up to the next meeting in order to work on these issues one at a time. Let’s see where it all stands by the end of October.

One of my most productive and focused days was the one I spent at home. It was an absolutely beautiful day — glorious sunshine, not too hot, not too cold. I spent an hour at the gym first thing in the morning, great preparation for sitting at my desk, and then went for a walk on my lunch break down to where the fields begin to say hi to the horses. There’s nothing like time in nature for a mental break.

I’ve also been back at the dance studio this week, both teaching and taking class. It’s another great way to step away from thinking about the PhD. If my mind wanders for just a second, I instantly lose my place in the choreography.

So, like I said, I got more done than I thought, which is starting to become a weekly theme. Next week brings a workshop on search strategies for academic papers, a doctoral conference, a seminar, and a get-together for new university employees. Busy, but good busy. Looking forward to it.