Needing more of Kate’s determination

I’ve agreed to TA the Complex Emergencies course again this fall (starts October 18th). A new twist: we have a visiting faculty coming. This is a great opportunity and I’m excited about it. There is also a second TA for the course (a grad student who took the class last fall) which is even more exciting since there is a remote possibility I won’t be working 100 or so hours of free overtime like last year. I’ll spare the details of how Tulane TAs are slave labor except to say that I cannot believe anyone complained about the situation for Michigan GSIs, ever. (That Michigan student labor group is the most incredible social justice machine on the planet.)

As a result, I’m feeling even more pressure to get this prospectus done. And I was SO CLOSE. Then I had to open up that can of worms. And reach out with questions to old Michigan colleagues. And get more ideas. And like them. And now, well, now I’ve got this mess and although I think I have it straight in my head, am having the damnest time putting it all down on paper. Why couldn’t I have stuck with the simple design and just defended?? I seem to have some sort of mental block in front of making this next step. How do people actually finish this degree? With kids? And life? And mental blocks?

In short, we are gearing up for two really really nonstop busy months.