Back to work...

I really need to get back to work. When I moved away from OUE City in June, I agreed with my supervisor that I would take the summer off, and would also apply to suspend my status for the Winter term. This means that I have no formal commitment to be working on my research again until January, but the plan was always to start in October/November. I really needed the break, but there are some important funding deadlines coming up around March next year, so I need to get back up to speed and hit the ground running in January. I'd like to have quite substantial drafts ready by the time I meet my supervisor in early January, and given that I haven't worked for several months and a lot of the previous year passed in a blur, I need to get focused. I need to spend quite a bit of time bringing myself up-to-date with general developments in my field (which changes amazingly quickly), and then I need to get cosy with my research topic again. I'm looking forward to all of this, but the logistics of getting back to work aren't simple...

All of my research papers and books are in boxes in the attic, mixed with all our other possessions ready for our move. I intended to start work again once we had moved (this Friday, hah!), but the move-from-hell isn't going anywhere fast, so I'll now have to unpack all the boxes and trawl for my work. *sigh*. Plus, as we turned our study back into a second bedroom, I don't have anywhere to work right now (how much longer can I blame everything on the move-from-hell?!). Our house is very tiny, so there's no room anywhere else for a desk and a bookcase, and I really need at least a little space. I think I'm even more conscious of this than I would normally be, as I know it's going to take me a while to get to grips with my research again, and I don't want to be put off by my environment. My last desk in OUE City looked over a beautiful garden quad, I had lots of bookshelves and I was just minutes away from some of the world's best libraries, so I'm not surprised to be a little wistful as I sit here perched on the sofa with my laptop.

I'm going to try to resolve the situation a little by working at my Mum's house. She has a study which is very cluttered right now, but she's said I can clear it out a bit. It'll be really nice to have somewhere to work away from home. I'm going stir crazy here right now, and it's only going to get worse once we're back into tidy-mode for house viewings. The downside of my Mum's house is that there's no internet access, which means I'll have to be very organised about finding on-line resources ahead of time, plus (and this is the worst bit!) I won't be able to take blogging breaks during the day. :( Nevermind, productivity will reign!

So, from next Monday I should have the physical requirements of work sorted out, but I'm also worried about the emotional side. I'm used to having other grad students around and being in a university environment. Whether it's attending discussion groups and seminars, or just chatting over coffee, I'm used to the intellectual stimulation and companionship that comes with research. But now that I live several hours away from OUE City, I don't have the same access to intellectual and emotional support for my work. Sure, if there's a really important lecture or meeting I want to go to, I can make the journey, but I can't just do that to have a quick chat with a colleague or a mutual rant with a friend. I'm just worried that the lonely business of research is becoming even more isolated for me. When we eventually move to Trendy Seaside City (okay, I'm not going down that route again ;)), I'm determined to become involved locally, so that even if I don't have the academic support I used to have, I won't be alone so much. I think that will really help. For now, I'm in limbo and I've got to do my best to stay positive.