Hello!
Well, here we are after a 5 year writing hiatus. So, what’s happened in 5 years? Here’s a brief recap of what you’ve missed…
- I switched jobs a couple of times, but am still in the same sector for my day job.
- The shamisen became my newest musical pursuit. After receiving a nagauta shamisen for a combined Christmas/Birthday present a few years ago, I started lessons. Hubby and I even got to spend some time in Japan in 2017 thanks to the generosity of family, where I attended a shamisen music camp.
- In 2018, I completed my Masters degree and graduated with Distinction. Somehow I managed to place 1st in my cohort for my capstone research project.
- At the same time as I was completing my research project, I fell pregnant. This was after a several-year journey to get my health in a space where I was comfortable for this to happen. 8-ish months later, after a pregnancy journey that will be shared with you across various posts, our healthy spud arrived earth-side.
- I was very lucky to take 17 months off work due to also accessing long service leave. I am forever thankful for this because during this time, a lot happened. We bought a house and moved, lost a close family member to terminal cancer, were evacuated twice due to bushfires, and then, of course, COVID-19. I’m very thankful I was able to focus on my family during this time.
- I was offered an opportunity to undertake a PhD through a scholarship research project. I started my PhD part-time when spud was 9 months old. I’m so excited to see where this leads.
- There was a volunteer opportunity to be a co-host for a peer-led podcast on diabetes and pregnancy. I’m so thrilled to be a part of it!
That’s what you’ve missed mainly, in a nutshell. As a PhD student, one of my subjects requires me to keep up some informal writing about my research and reflecting on life’s experiences. To help with this, the blog is being revived – and I’ve even got a few posts already lined up! I’ve hidden a lot of my old “diary” content and left a few of my better-written old posts that aren’t too cringe-worthy. The “About” section has also had a big update. Please follow along if you’d like to read more about my experiences as a mum, wife, PhD student, person with diabetes and more!
Cheers
Rachel (Mrs Ginger Fox)