THE END

The past four months have been a blur. So let's back track a little...

JULY

The first week of July, I went to Geneva for the Hastings Center-Brocher Summer Academy for a week of presentations and intense discussions about enhancement with regard to legal, medical and ethical implications. It was a very thought-provoking experience, and I met so many amazing people from all over the world. It was about 50 people in total, including a couple of individuals who I cited loads in my thesis, so meeting them was a great chance to drool over the work they're doing and actually speak to them about my own take on their subject. While I was in Switzerland/France (technically my hotel was just over the border), we got to go into the city center where I could see Anna for dinner one night. After a little game of Marco Polo we finally found each other and had some delicious food at a less touristy restaurant and then stopped for a glass of wine on the waterfront before parting ways.

Before heading back to Scotland, I took a train from my connecting flight in London to Reading to visit Emily and her family in Reading for a few days while finishing up the final draft of my thesis. Such a good time, and her parents are transplants from Boston, so it felt like the perfect mix of living in a beautiful Georgian-style English home with the comforts of my own home. Most days I spent at their dining room table typing away while looking out the windows at the canal behind their house and the little ducks that walk around there. We also took a day trip out to Bath and an evening out in London for dinner and a West End show with their family friends visiting from Boston (who we also had over for an American barbeque one night). This all made me both really excited to go home, reminding me of the things I missed, but also really sad to be leaving because these kinds of places and experiences would soon be out of reach.

In any case, I finally popped on a train back to St Andrews, spent a couple days running around town getting my thesis printed and submitted, and then had a few days left over to pack and spend time with friends, not to mention fly a plane with Steven, and visit a couple friends out in Glasgow for a weekend. I felt bad that I'd be missing out on the remainder of the summer with these friends of mine who would all still be together for an extra month without me, but they all threw me a great going away party. And before I knew it, I was back home for barenly enough time rushing around trying to get everything unpacked, repacked, and ready to move to New York.

AUGUST-OCTOBER

Move-in was July 31, orientation started August 1, and classes started August 5. Before I knew it, my life got wildly busy, more so than ever before. And I also could not resist but to not only sign up for countless clubs and other extracurriculars, but also take on multiple leadership positions within these organizations. Arguably crazy, but it's seeming to work out so far. Despite being so busy, when people ask me what I've been up to, I could probably answer in a couple sentences: "I go to class/lab from about 9-5 every day, then go to meetings/study all night until I go to bed, wake up and do it again. I probably go out once a week for my sanity." People follow this answer with, "Cool...? And what else is going on in life?" Honestly, that's about it. Is there really time for more? No. Not when I have an exam every two weeks, which requires more studying than one final would in undergrad. I have gone home about once a month. Driving from New York to Boston while all the leaves change is probably one of the most beautiful things. I went apple picking one weekend. I've gone out in NYC a couple times. But these things all seem slightly less thrilling than my former life as a traveler.

Two weeks ago, I had my oral viva (thesis defense) over Skype. It went well, even though I didn't even have time to reread my thesis (which I hadn't touched since I finished it in July) because I also had an anatomy exam that I was revising for the following Monday. Only two very minor corrections, and last week I received the official email that I have my MPhil. But as with everything else at St Andrews, the process can't be that easy...Now I have to get a few copies printed (one to be dropped off at the registry, one for my supervisor, and one for me), an electronic version submitted on CD, and something for the library online when all that is done (??). In any case, this would be slightly (thought not much) easier if I were actually there in person to do all this. But it is slowly working itself out. Granted the deadline to have this all done for the November graduation is on Tuesday--not happening. But that's fine, because I wanted to graduate in June anyway.............

35,906...

...my word count for a complete draft of my thesis. That's 116 pages (not including my 2 page abstract and 15 page appendix). I still need to edit the conclusion and finish editing the introduction, but that's all going to wait until I get back from Geneva in a week. Phew. I think just finishing this draft was more satisfying than finishing my entire undergraduate degree.

And as the nostalgia sets in...

Part of me is indescribably excited to get home and start med school, another part of me is clinging to my life here. It still feels like an alternate reality, and even though I'm looking forward to getting out of St Andrews awhile, I'm not ready to leave this life behind. Then again, I suppose I'll never be 'ready' to leave this, and it won't be a done deal; I can come back and visit and stay in touch with people. And besides, even if I didn't leave, it would never really be the same anyway since other people leave too, of course.

The past few days have been crazy (and not quite as productive as I needed them to be...). The Emory Alumni event was at a nearby castle, which was pretty cool. The following night was Grad Ball, which was AMAZING--so much fun! It was so great to see so many people right before everyone leaves, and it was just such a great night. Then another party last night...needless to say it's been great, but I need to get back to work! But I do need these fun times to keep my sanity, so worth it...as long as my work gets done, it's fine...

In any case, the next 4 weeks are going to be INSANE. This week I will be finishing up the complete draft of my thesis (whoa). Sunday, I leave for Switzerland for the week. I'll come back to St Andrews for the following weekend, but then I will head down to England to see some friends for a few days (haven't decided how long yet?), as well as make any last revisions to my thesis (no point in sticking around St Andrews to do that seeing as I'll have everything I need and my supervisor will be out of the country anyway). I'll come back up to Scotland to submit my thesis and enjoy one last week in St Andrews (and by enjoy I mean pack up my room and spend the last of my savings), and may or may not squeeze in a very short trip somewhere in Scotland (TBD). And then I come home.

It's slightly confusing when it's still light out at 11pm

Today I went to a lecture by Sir David Attenborough. It was fantastic.

I also had my second to last meeting with my supervisor. Basically, I need to fix most of my abstract and introduction, which includes doing another full day of research...so much for taking the weekend off. It's fine. I'll do whatever it takes to a get a full draft done by the end of next week (cantbelieveimsoclosetobeingdone!!).

And this morning I wrote page 100 of my thesis...which I guess is exciting?

I'm getting really excited to come home in just less than 5 weeks, but I'm also getting seriously nostalgic at the thought of leaving here...

Free staff fitness classes

One of the benefits of being part of the university staff is over the summer they offer 6 weeks of free fitness classes. So not only do I get one free zumba class and one free yoga class each week until I leave, but it's probably good that I have to walk a mile each way to get to the fitness centre. Time to work off all those tesco cookies...

Overall, thesis work is coming along. Just the chapter based on interviews (yet to be conducted) with psychiatrists and the conclusion and I'll be done. I'm trying to crack through the little tedious things like formatting the reference list and writing up a table of contents etc at the moment. I'm so ready to be done with it, but at the same time feel like it would be nice to have more than the 4 weeks left that I've set for myself to submit it. Ah well.

In other news, I went for afternoon tea at the Old Course Hotel last weekend. Perhaps a bit overpriced, but it was definitely a good experience, and we had plenty of teacakes to take home afterward. I went with a few friends who will be graduating in a couple weeks. Basically, it's the posh hotel right at the edge of the famous golf course here, and the dining room is up on the fourth floor with huge windows that look out over West Sands beach, the Old Course, and the town to the side. Very nice.

Also, I was convinced to splurge a little and bought a ticket to go to the Grad Ball next week, which should be a lot of fun. But I'll be sad when most of my remaining undergrad friends that are still in town will be leaving after that. Not that I'll be here much longer either...and I'll certainly be working hard tying up all the loose ends left on my thesis by then anyway.

Otherwise, not too much else to report over the past couple weeks. Mostly just grabbing the odd coffee or lunch with people who are still around town. More of the same really.

Where has the time gone?

What a surreal week. Crazy how work is in seriously high gear as so many people are leaving and/or are on summer holiday lazying around. Where's my vacation? I say that, but I am really hyped up about my work right now. It's just hard to plan out everything else in my life while trying to get through it all in good time.

Today I gave a 45 minute presentation to a room full of about 15 mental health specialists (intimidating much?). It went pretty well, all things considered. And it looks like I will, in fact, have the interview sample that I need for my last chapter. Now to schedule said interviews over the next month (and come up with good questions)...

I did finally buy my plane tickets home now. July 25. So much to do over the next 2 months! It's definitely going to be tight. By the end of this week I'll have a full draft done of all my chapters (1-5) excluding the professional perspectives chapter (6) that I will write based on interviews. Then next week I hope to write up my introduction, and the following week revise my chapters after getting comments back from my supervisor. I've got a one week workshop for biology research students in the last full week of June. Then I will speed through writing up Chapter 6 before I leave for a week in Geneva on July 3. When I get back July 8, I'll revise Chapter 6 and write up my conclusion. And that will be me done sometime in mid-July. Ridiculous.

Oh and sidenote--I'm going to Geneva! I got accepted into this one week workshop that is going to be AMAZING. Only 40 people attend, and its basically experts in the field from all over the world. So excited!!

Hello antibiotics

The past week has been a bit of a fog as I've been fighting through a sinus infection (fun times!). But I finally went to the doctor this morning, so with the help of some antibiotics my head should finally uncloud in a few days.

Now that it's exam period here, despite my lack of exams, I've hit a new routine for thesis writing. Nearly every day now I get up for a leisurely breakfast and general life organization in the morning, and then find myself at various coffee establishments in town by early afternoon, where I write until the battery starts to die on my laptop (so about 3-4 hours), at which point I come home and eat a light lunch. I spend the next few hours generally wasting time, but also doing any other work that I have other than writing. I've been having late dinner and then spend the rest of my evening being a bum and/or squeezing out a couple final hours of work before watching a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy with Jo after she finishes studying for the day.

I'd like to think that once my sinuses clear up, I'll be able to do a bit more writing than that, but overall things are going well. I'm a bit more than halfway through Chapter 4. Next week will be Chapter 5. And then I have to cross my fingers that some psychiatrists will be willing to interview with me in June so that I have something to write for Chapter 6...