I successfully defended my dissertation earlier this week!! To be honest, it was a little anticlimactic. There were three people on my dissertation committee, two who were assigned, and one who I chose. of course I chose my old boss (not the crazy bitch) and she asked me two questions that were impossible to answer. After we went out for lunch, and I was like, "you couldn't just start with a softball?" Whatever, I passed and on December 15 will officially be a doctor. The day that I defended, I came home in the evening, finished everything, closed my IRB, uploaded, and now I'm really done. I have so much free time, during which I don't have to feel any guilt. Of course, I was immediately like "I should learn how to be a better counselor." But when I do that, it will be a free class with no required assignments. Because, the school I interviewed at invited me back to meet the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences!! I'm not sure why that couldn't fit into the 6 1/2 hour day, but I think this could actually work out.
Today, to celebrate the long weekend with nothing to do, I hiked Mt. Roberts with a meet up group. There was snow on the mountain, it was 20 degrees out, but not too windy until the top. The group was just 12, after we went to a pub for food. It was a good hike! I definitely realized how out of shape I was, although I kept up with the group, I was huffing and puffing the entire way up. The hike is an in and back, 2.51 miles each way, just a little over 2000 feet tall, and a little over 1000 feet elevation gain. So, definitely not a killer hike, but not nothing, especially since there was a lot of loose snow on the trail. On the way down we moved sooo fast. I think it probably took us over two hours up, and about an hour down. There were really nice views for most of the hike, and at the top we could see Mt Washington in the distance. After we went to a cozy brew pub for drinks and food. Good day!
