Post-thesis life

Three years ago today, I jumped out of a plane. There's two things I can't quite believe about that sentence. One, that it's been three years ago already. Two, that I actually jumped out of a plane. I know I did, and I have the photo's and to date unseen video to prove it. But somehow it doesn't feel like it was actually me. Like it was someone else who jumped out of that plane three years ago who just happened to look exactly like me.

It's something that fascinates me, this feeling of being someone else completely back then while at the same time feeling like you don't change that much at all over the years. It's kind of the same way I feel now. Now that I've finished my thesis and my days as a uni student, I've been looking back on the journey that got me to this point quite a bit. And a journey it has definitely been, getting this thesis of mine off the ground and eventually finished. It took so much more time and energy than I had ever imagined it would when I first started. It was only around this time last year that I was finally feeling like I was getting my research and my life back on track again after months of feeling like I was drifting. During June and July last year, I finally got some focus back, which I had lacked in the months leading up to that. I can safely say I felt like a completely different person then too compared to how I feel now. But I learned a lot. At the end of the day, that's what makes those times and experiences so valuable. However lost it can make you feel at the time... Anyway, that's all I'll say about that. My thesis is finished, and I'm so proud of it :) And thanks (again) to everyone for supporting me throughout the whole journey and of course for your congratulations at the end of it. You're awesome! You'll all be glad to know I eventually even got a 9/10 mark for my thesis, which is amazing!

So in the weeks directly following finishing my thesis I took being lazy to a whole new level, simply loving the fact that I had nothing that really needed doing for a while. Apart from relaxing of course :) So that's exactly what I did. Made a proper start on my America photo album for one, because now I finally had the time. I think I'm one of the few people who actually still prints out photos and puts them in an album the old school way, but I just love the creativity of it. Kept up the 3 times a week training for a 5km ladies run at the end of June with 3 of my 4 housemates. Yes, you read it right. I know to some of you this comes as both a shock and a surprise (others are only past that stage because I told them before now...) but I participated in a 5km ladies run! And trained for it 3 times a week. Well most weeks anyway, haha. Judith, one of my housemates, thought it would be a fun idea to do this with all of us in the house, and despite my fierce protests at the start of it, I got swayed and decided to join in in week 2 of the training schedule. I tell you, running for 2 minutes 5 times in row can definitely feel like dying when you're as unfit as I was at the very start. And running 5km after 3 months of training can definitely still feel like dying too. But we all made it across the finish line in one piece, so proud of ourselves and the medal we got :)

Other than that it's mainly been random bits and pieces that daily life is made of. And since the start of this month I'm also no longer unemployed, for which I owe my sister Renske a big thank you! She's starting a new job next month and mentioned me as her replacement where she currently works, which is awesome :) So now I'm also writing so-called search-engine optimised texts for companies that want to be higher on the google hitlist when you type in certain words. Not too exciting, but it's good to have something to do while I'm jobhunting and to have at least some money coming in for now.

So that's what my life is made of at the moment: working, relaxing and jobhunting. And it's probably what most of my Summer is going to look like too, although I do intend to go to Berlin for a couple of days some time this Summer to visit my friend Henni there. Other than that, I'll see what this Summer brings me! Everything's wide open for me at the moment, so I'm just taking it as it comes :) And of course I'll keep you updated as I'm figuring it all out. For now though, I hope you are all well and enjoying life. I always love hearing from you too, so please leave a comment! My love to all of you.
xx