Summer planning
What's on this summer - plus, the Music Highlight
Photo by Marketing Online on Unsplash
Summer is here in the northern hemisphere and I must be honest with you - it is not my favourite season. I really suffer from any temperature over 27-28°C and I feel pretty bad when I am out. Which is why I spend a lot of time in places with air-conditioning, especially now that I am currently in Greece for quite a while taking care of my dad after a health issue he went through…so I am looking forward to the fall and winter which are nice and pleasant for me : )
Okay so why did I start talking about the seasons? One of the things I love doing is listening to podcasts, all year long and not only in the summer; one of my favourites is You’ve Got This with Dr Katie Linder, as I have mentioned in previous newsletters, and there is a new episode every Wednesday.
The other day a new episode came out and Katie was speaking about what she is going to do during the summer - actually, it is something she always does before summer and winter break too. She announces her plans, both for work-related things and rest too - and later on in the year she shares what she managed to do, what went well and what not. I love this and thought I should do the same this week for us too for our newsletter. First, take a listen to Katie’s podcast:
So what’s going to happen this summer?
I am working throughout the summer because my students are taking their final exams in October. Not all of them are taking time off at the same time, so we are continuing with each one of them individually (we have mostly private lessons but also three group lessons every semester and a big revision day before their exams, all online). I will take a few days off here and there, but due to working with my students and it being impossible to travel anywhere in the situation my family and I are in, we are not going anywhere. I will take some more holidays after my students’ exams - I am very fortunate that with my specific workplace, I can choose when I can take time off.
I am also doing a course related to my work so it can help me build courses later on. I mentioned this in a previous post. I will get a certification at the end, and I am working hard to finish it as soon as possible. I am enjoying it a lot, even though it is hard, both material-wise and combining it with everything else I am doing.
The PhD! I am writing my second article and a lot of work and studying is going into that. The topic is fascinating so I really love learning about it!
The Book Club! We are starting very soon. Look out for the first live which will be announced soon! I will try to choose a time that is accommodating for people along the various time zones. I also have a surprise coming!
Rest and relaxation. This is going to be central to this summer. As I said, after I finish with my certification, I will take a few days off. And generally I will incorporate it even a little into every single day. This year has been tough on my family, but every day is getting better and rest is important for all of us.
Family time! It’s too hot here in the summer, but we have air-conditioning, and wonderful balconies (where we grow tomatoes, peppers and lettuce, and lovely lemons and flowers too!) We will spend time there and get as much fresh air as possible. My nieces and nephews are out of school, so I will go to bookshops and on short walks with the two that live here, and plan video calls with the ones that live in Switzerland.
Reading for pleasure. This has been one of the hardest things to do, because I read mostly at night. Very often I am tired after a whole day of work, study and being a caregiver (which I am very fortunate to do). I also sometimes feel guilty I am not reading something for my research. Those stacks of unread books are getting huge because I cannot stop buying 😊 I need to incorporate even a few pages daily.
What are your plans for this upcoming season, wherever you are in the world?
I will write a post around mid-August when technically educational institutions start their new academic year in Switzerland, and just take stock, very gently, about what happened over the summer.
The Music Highlight
What’s as good as 80s Duran Duran? Well, 90s Duran Duran! : ) Enjoy this spectacular track!
I am absolutely impressed by you, Vicky. You are juggling so much while also working on your PhD. Admittedly, I had to stop listening to Dr Linder at 8:50. All the activities she wanted to accomplish in one summer had me feeling completely overwhelmed. I am now listening to Duran Duran and it is terrific! Friday, I was sending you *play Duran Duran* vibes. 🤣😂🤣 Then I was amazed when I saw that they were the Music Highlight. 😲 haha
So, my plans for this upcoming season are to focus intensely on my thesis amendments. I have a hard deadline in mid-October. I am taking a trip in late August to visit my mother who is in hospital since April and will be moving to a long-term (read: forever) memory care facility. Because of the trip, my thesis is due into my Supers mid-August for their final read-through. When I get home from my visit, there will be the feedback, the thesis loose ends, and the examiner's report to complete. It'll be hectic and I'll be pressed, so pressed, for time. For me, the ultimate goal in all of this is to take care of myself by getting enough sleep. I tend to fall into bad habits of staying up for more than 24 hours studying. Also, I do not get enough outdoors time. So, I will incorporate outdoors time into my weekly schedule, writing it into my daily diary if that will give me the permission I need. And that is all aside from some webinars that I schedule in and some volunteer work that I do every two weeks online. Just trying to keep it together. ðŸ«
You have been working through so many summers, dear Vicky, that you truly deserve all the best and only the best!