Milestones

I sort of live my life as a set of milestones. I know, I know. I should "revel in the moment" and in the "journey" instead of always waiting for the next achievement, but well, I sort of LIKE working toward milestones. I DO enjoy the in-between times, but I view it as the enjoyment of the process toward the next step. Maybe that's why I entered a career where my life will continually be another paper or grant application to submit. I enjoy working toward something tangible.

Because then I get days like today. Days when I:

• Send off a big packet of papers to Germany. The culmination of a couple months of emailing, writing, collaborating, editing, and finally printing an application for a fellowship in Berlin.
• Email a job application to 2 different universities for faculty positions.
• Email a grant application to the UCLA grants office (this one is a little less climatic since the grants office is notorious for being a pain in the ass with regard to getting everything off to the potential funding agency) - but still the culmination of many many months of writing and editing.
• Email edits of 4 essays for a friend's internship applications. This one didn't take too long, but it was fun and nice to send back to her so that SHE can get to her next milestone of submitting those apps!

I just feel really good about checking things off the "to-do" list, you know?

It also doesn't hurt that I'm going to Oregon this weekend for a wedding and short backpacking trip and to see some good friends. And that the following weekend I get a visit from another good and long-lost friend and celebrate my birthday. Life is pretty good right now...