I swam competitively as a child (until I got my driver’s license at 15), and I am pretty sure I could break records for treading water. It’s a metaphor I use often during weeks when there’s lots to accomplish and extenuating circumstances wreak havoc on “getting shit done”. But I remind myself that sometimes you have to tread water, but it’s not forever, and I have the mental, emotional, and physical strength to do it for a bit. Acknowledging “I Got This”, “It all gets done”, “Breathe”–three mantras told to me by three of my new colleagues who always, always have my back helps.  But then I need time to rest, so come on weekend, I say!

Two people (a nun from my childhood and an established, influential scholar and mentor in my field) died this week. Both women significantly influenced the person I am today. I have been reflecting on both of them a good bit. I’m working on blog posts for both, but the writing I do for my blog is certainly suffering this week. But you’ll hear more about them over the next week or so.

At the same time, I am fortunate to have one of the most influential women in my life here in Greenville for five days for a conference being hosted here at ECU. She’s played an incredible number of roles in my life including professor, mentor, dissertation director,  friend, collaborator, and confident. She is here for a Writing Center conference that two of my best friends are hosting here at ECU.  The graduate students I am working with are getting to meet and spend time with her, and she’s paying it forward, and to see their faces when I introduce them to my mentor and director is priceless. (You know, in my position, they feel like I was never at all like them and why would I have mentor.) My friend/mentor has reminded my students how much work she had to do with me. Just kidding…she’s way too classy for that but somehow they know. 😉

Even more exciting, we also had a chance to write today together at one of the coffee shops I frequent often, and we’re working on a chapter on mentoring networks. It seems fitting one of my new colleagues/friends picked her up from the airport because I was in a meeting and practically planned an article together.  We also had dinner with another new colleague/friend; they had never met but had heard SO much about each other from me that I think they felt like they knew each other. We discussed a series of potential projects. A really special time to be sure. And we’ll get to spend more time with friends on Saturday after the conference at our home.

There might have been a time in my life where I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the significance or uniqueness of this week given #allthework NOT getting done, but then I would have missed living and creating all of these fabulous memories this week together, with others, and with my students, some of who are experiencing their first academic conference.

For all these reasons and more, I’m pretty sure this week will be remembered as a highlight in my academic career.