Post-Comps: Princes of the Universe

I read over a hundred books.  Wrote over a hundred pages.  Out of necessity (the head of my committee is retiring next month; this was her final act as an academic), I did in 6 months what most grad students take a year to study for.

I even made flash cards to prepare my answers, carefully mapping out each response with relevant texts and theoretical frameworks--all for naught, for during the oral defense they did not ask me a single question I had prepped for, and every question I had not.  There was a whole lot of stammering and scrambling and thinking on my feet.

And I passed.

I passed my PhD Comprehensive Examinations.

I am now ABD.

All But Dissertation.

I have crashed now.  I am absolutely exhausted.  A day later, my body is still recovering--physically, emotionally, spiritually.  There were moments these past few days when I seriously worried I might have a breakdown.

But I didn't.  I passed instead.

The sky is bluer.  The sun is brighter.  My shoulders are lighter.  I feel elated and free.

Last year, at the end of my worst semester ever, I posted Frank Sinatra.  But this year, I'm feeling a little more...grandiose: