slowly but surely....

so i don't think people realize that finishing up a phd program can be a long, drawn-out process. i still have a few weeks to go, possibly more, because i'm making some changes to my dissertation, so even though i was hooded during my graduation ceremony and i passed my final defense, it really ain't over until i file my dissertation. and then, even after that, i have to submit papers from my dissertation research to public health journals for publication. then, and only then, will i actually be able to put my dissertation to rest. to give you an idea, one of my classmates defended last may, but it took her about a year to get her papers submitted and published.

but the worst is over, for sure...and the pressure's off, so i can actually relax a little. so far, i've been able to: give my car the washing it so desperately needed (yes, it was cathartic), take that road trip to vegas with my classmates, clean a little, and catch up with a few friends. looking forward to hanging out this summer...in between weddings, bali with mosaic, and, of course, applying for jobs and post-docs. also, i don't know where i'm going to be this fall, so i'm trying to cram in some last minute, even-though-i've-lived-in-los-
angeles-most-of-my-life-i-never-got-around-to-doing-these-things... things. so far i've got:
- walt disney music hall
- huntington library
- getty museum (gasp, i know...i've gone to the getty villa, but not the museum. to my credit, i did try to go twice, but once it was closed, and the other time, it was closing in an hour, so...chalk it up to bad timing.)
- griffith observatory (ok, i've gone here before...on a class field trip when i was in 3rd grade or something. i just haven't had a chance to see the new and improved griffith observatory)

hmm, i think that's mostly it. i might be missing some things, but since i've lived in west la since i was 3, there are a lot of things i've gotten to do at one time or another. now the list of one-last-time-before-i-move things is a bit longer...but who knows, maybe i'll end up staying here. ;p