One month in

We're almost a month into the first year of doctoral study and its finally starting to feel like we're making some headway in bonding as a cohort. We're starting to joke, talk about things other than classes, and generally gel as a group. Granted, there is still definitely a lot of awkwardness and relative silence, but there's visible progress. 

But I'm tired, Dear Reader. We are busy for sure, but I'm beginning to think my hugely different work areas are kind of problematic. On the one hand, my own research interests are around social justice and sexual and reproductive health. As is, I feel more pulled toward social justice approaches to public health than anything else. Then, on the other hand, at work I have to focus on methodology and homeless youth. And THEN there's the side hustle - a focus on aging issues that I fear doesn't have much of a place in my life right now. Thinking deeply and creatively about each of these things takes time and effort and there just isn't enough brain power I think to do justice to them all.

But there's the very practical matter of me wanting the extra income because the grad student struggle is real...

Sigh. Talk about competing priorities...