Saturday: Got up at the crack of dawn, sang a little, read a lot, and basked in some warm fuzzies. The conference was wonderful and I enjoyed reading my paper to an audience (I even did the voices!). All of that excitement eventually died down and I spent the last four or five hours working on a Roman history timeline. I think I went to bed around 4AM or something ridiculous.
Sunday: Got up and worked on my Roman picture book from around 9AM until 3AM. I'm serious. I sat on a stool for over eight hours just manipulating stuff on Word. Then I had to go back to my room and manipulate the same stuff one more time. While watching Gladiator for inspiration.
Monday: Got up early again and had to go to Kinko's to print everything off. Had some issues but Robin kept me calm. I finished everything for my picture book about 5 minutes before class began. Presented said book in class, got positive feedback and then went home to read all my classmates' stories for workshop the next day. Also typed up guidebook for next year's entertainment chairs.
Tuesday: Woke up early, wrote 6-7 pages of a new picture book I'm working on, helped out with a picture book workshop, met with resident scholar Philip Nel and had my head deflated a little, and then did a fast and furious critique before class that night. Came home from class and crashed. After reading another three stories and making comments.
Wednesday: Again, woke up earlier than I would have liked, did the rest of my critiques, went to last picture books class and then came home and did revisions all night.
Thursday: Got up, met with my picture books professor to get one more book signed and then went for an extensive walk around campus to get pictures and reflect on my 2008 experience. Went to my last meeting as a committee chairperson and then did another couple hours of story revision. Went to class.
And then I was done. Finally.
I'm not kidding when I say that I haven't worked this hard in a while. Which is hilarious to me because I spend an extraordinary amount of time doing my job during the school year, but this gig takes the cake. That Roman picture book alone took around 30 hours (maybe more) to complete.
But I survived, and I received great marks for my efforts. And now I have nothing to worry about anymore. However, I don't feel weird about it like I did last year. This year I'm just relieved. I'm so thankful that tomorrow I get to go hiking with my friends, eat some good food, reminisce a little and then have a final sleepover before I embark for Bryan and home on Saturday.
I really need a break over the next few days. I'm sure I'll be itching to be back in the classroom by Wednesday, but, for right now, I just want to bask in the glory that is another semester of graduate school in the bag.
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