Wide Open Unknown
Tomorrow the Fulbright year officially begins, with the orientation in Madrid. After 3 weeks in Toledo, working on finishing projects ranging from editing/commenting on a book and a paper with my adviser, I’m now going to turn to my own work. The dissertation research that brought me here. The group of people I’ll meet through the research. The year of managing my own work, carrying out my own independent research project. I have a plan, but it will surely change. How much can I expect the project to change? Who will help me with the project? How will the second part of the project work out?
I’m filled with anticipation and nervous uncertainty as I look ahead to the year. Worried because the 3 weeks in Toledo haven’t focused enough on my own work. But knowing at the same time that that’s because they needed to focus on other things (family, tying up other loose ends of work, a couple days off here and there). So now, starting tomorrow, my focus is on my project (with a little more vacation in there for two friends’ weddings…).
Goals for the year, as I sit thinking in the slant of late evening sun setting over the Castilian plains:
- Meet and talk with as many people as I can, break through my natural shyness and go deep into getting to know the people in my project.
- Be ambitious with the project, both in terms of methods and in terms of the time I dedicate to it.
- Write as I go, working on fellowship applications for the dissertation year, and synthesizing the findings of my work to improve on what I’m doing throughout the project.
- Learn some academic (written) Spanish, and conversational Catalan.
- Attend some classes, lectures, conferences, talks on immigration and schooling in Spain.
What are your goals for the year? In what ways are you facing unknowns in the months ahead?