grateful to be in Cape Town

I can't imagine what it would have been like to try and complete this PhD alone. I don't think I would have been able to do it alone. I'm constantly reminded of how grateful I am that I'm back in Cape Town. How even when I feel really alone as I go through this process, I am not.

I've been rather upbeat about my progress over the past three weeks. It has felt really authentic, not just a mask created specifically for this somewhat public platform. I really am enjoying working on my PhD, even though I've been grappling with some fundamental ideas and how to present them. But it's always like this when the work I'm doing is of the 'low-stakes' variety. Then invariably when a written tasks needs to be completed or  feedback on that tasks is pending or has taken place my sense of equilibrium and buoyancy and confidence  unravels.  At these times I am probably most grateful for Cape Town. I can't do this thing alone and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But increasingly I know that I will do this thing. I know that what I've done so far is worthy of the degree and I will get to the other side. This is my story and I'm sticking to it.