One down, one to go!

So yesterday was the culmination of months (and I do mean months) of hard work, stress, collaboration, and hoop-jumping-through-ness of a number of AMAZING people. The 2nd Annual University of Idaho Graduate Literature Conference is done. Yay! We had over 30 participants, from Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Arizona. Without all of them, the conference would not have been as awesome as it was.

Now, I'll admit, that usually conferences put me to sleep. I get bored and I struggle more to stay awake than to pay attention, but such was not the case yesterday. So, maybe I'm partial because I know how much was put into this conference, but I honestly don't think so. Every panel that I went to was really interesting and the presenters (for the most part) did great jobs. I didn't detect any nervousness and some great questions were asked by audience members. There was more than enough food (if the leftovers crammed in my fridge are any indication) and I think everyone had a good time.

That being said, I didn't really how stressed I was over the whole thing until this morning. I slept in until 7:30 (yes, that is sleeping in for me, so don't judge) and woke refreshed and without a care in the world. I no longer had continuous thoughts of whether or not there'd be enough people in the audience, imagining minor and major crisis scenarios that may occur and how to deal with them, if there would be enough food, if the presenters and moderators would all show up, etc. Can you tell I've been stressed? I woke up this morning and read a short story FOR FUN! Did some work on my thesis, took my dog to the park as an apology for me abandoning her this week, and am now just surfing the web without a rudder...and loving it!

The week will begin again tomorrow, but that's a new day. Right now I'm enjoying my "day of rest" and focusing my attention on my thesis, classes, teaching, finding a job after graduation, etc. You know...same ol', same ol'.

That's not to say my conference attending days are over. I still have one more to present at in Boston two weeks from today. Luckily I don't have any responsibility in its success beyond my own presentation. Phew! By then my thesis rough draft will be done, the revision process will begin, and the countdown will really start in earnest to graduation day, Saturday, May 14th, 2011.