Today was a pretty noteworthy day. I was able to sit down with my thesis adviser for the first time in a while to talk about my research direction, and I’m feeling fairly confident that I can wrap this Master’s degree up in a timely manner while still generating a respectable thesis. I’ve been told several times that my biggest issue is that I’m thinking on a PhD level – that the issues that I want to tackle are too big for a mere Master’s degree. Though I’m not quite sure I agree with that statement, I do know that I struggle with knowing where to “draw the line”: knowing when the idea that I’ve been stewing is “good enough” to just dive into and work with. After today’s meeting I feel like I have wind in my sails, juice in my battery, and other metaphors. And that was only the beginning of the day.

I’m getting married next year to the woman of my dreams. In preparation we’ve been saving our money, and though we already have a sizable hoard of cash, I’ve been batting around the idea of moving my Master’s research into part-time status in order to focus on full-time employment. Luckily for my the company that I currently work at part-time has expressed great interest in moving me into a full-time position! I talked it over with my adviser today, and he has given me his approval for my plan, and my plan is to move into part time after my thesis proposal, working toward my defense on evenings and weekends. Furthermore it may also be possible for me to pursue a PhD alongside work, should I choose to go down that path.

So, in one day I’ve not only gotten my science-mojo back, but I’ve also been told that it is indeed possible to finish my Master’s, and even pursue a PhD, while working to save for my wedding, and thereafter a house. I’ve got a bright future ahead of me, and it just got brighter.