I finally did it--I just sent in my first complete draft of my thesis! I'm in my advisor's office, having walked through Ypsi at 2am in order to send it. But I did it!

I didn't realize how triumphant I would feel at this point. I've been working on this thing for two years now, and it's always been just one incremental step after another, week after week after week. And this past week has been draft after draft of the thesis results proper.

I was just thinking of this as "Draft #7." Until I actually put that final word down on the--well, I guess the hard drive, not the paper. Then as I got up and started to change into outdoor clothes to come here, I suddenly realized that this was my first complete draft. I've actually written a thesis! Yippee! I feel I should be celebrating or something. True, I will probably have revisions to do all day tomorrow when my advisor calls me, but--this is the first time I've had "The End" mentally on the paper. Now I actually have something upon which to base my presentation at the APA convention in July.

My thesis defense will be in two weeks: July 1st. I will definitely have to celebrate after that...or else console myself. (Either way, there will be some kinda doin's a-transpirin'.) Oh, I'm sure my defense will go much as other people's have been going, which is that their committee members have them make a few revisions, or something.

I'm greatly looking forward to finally getting my Mistress of Science degree.

This is the first time I've felt a sense of accomplishment, that I can remember, since my first week here. I didn't even realize how little reinforcement I'd been getting for all this dang work I do, until tonight. (Talk about your lean reinforcement schedules!) That overused cliché phrase about walking taller? Well, tonight on the way here I could actually feel myself walking taller, and it wasn't just a cliché. I realized how slumped over and burdened and somehow unworthy I've been feeling. Boy, is the night air sweet tonight.

Well, time to go home and sleep for a while until my advisor calls me with the revisions in the morning. Maybe I can actually do the dishes and laundry that have been piling up since last weekend, before I go away again this weekend. Today, I unpacked [dumped out] my overnight bag from last weekend, so I guess tomorrow I'll pack it right up again! Hopefully with cleaner clothes.