Books read in 2021


With the end of the year upon us, I figure it’s time to commit to my books read in 2021 list. Last year I believe I did something similar, if not, I should have. In any case, every year as part of my “lazy goals” I challenge myself to read a certain number of books. The purpose is to stop and relax from time to time. Or just to carve out a couple of hours to enjoy reading a good story, well hopefully good. Want to read something, but aren’t sure what? Don’t worry, I have some recommendations!
(more…)December 30, 2021 | Categories: 365 Days of Academia - Year three, Mental health | Tags: anxiety, book review, books, goal setting, goals, lazy goals, Mental health, mental illness, reading, stories, stress, writing | Leave a comment
The year I met Alice


Every year around this time I think of Alice (not her real name). Alice and I have a lot in common. We have the same last name, same initials, and we had no idea the other existed until one day when I randomly checked my email and discovered a serious case of mistaken identity. That was my introduction to Alice, so every year I think about her and wonder how she’s doing. But my dear reader, the story isn’t about the emails. The story is about what happened next.
(more…)December 23, 2021 | Categories: 365 Days of Academia - Year three, Thoughts from the Lab | Tags: connections, daily blogging, Education, meeting, people, postaday, random, school, stories, story, story telling, writing | 2 Comments
On finishing a story


I am an avid reader. I absolutely love books and if I had more time I would probably read even more than I do. Despite being incredibly busy, I read daily and the amount I read varies wildly depending on how much time I have. Still, I manage to read an hour or so a day depending on how I’m feeling. So far this year I’ve read 19 books with a goal of hitting 30 by the end of the year. I would’ve gone for the whole book a week thing, but that felt like too much pressure for something I enjoy doing as a hobby. The problem with all that reading is inevitably stories end.
(more…)June 6, 2021 | Categories: 365 Days of Academia - Year two, Mental health | Tags: anxiety, book, books, depression, health, learning, Mental health, mental illness, PTSD, read, reading, stories | Leave a comment
On the stories we tell


It’s been a busy week, there was so much to do that I was worried it wasn’t going to all get done, but here we are! Things got done, mental health was prioritized, and I figure it’s a good time to talk about words. Or rather the stories they form, it’s a complex topic and this is really more for me than anything, a friendly reminder that I really enjoy writing. After all, while this blog is meant to help others, it’s also a message in a bottle to my future self, a reminder that I was really here and actually did the work. An ever growing time capsule of my thoughts if you will.
(more…)February 14, 2021 | Categories: 365 Days of Academia - Year two, Thoughts from the Lab | Tags: academia, books, daily blogging, Education, Mental health, PhD, postaday, school, stories, story telling, technical writing, writing | Leave a comment