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.............
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