on the slow train, steadily going upstream..

Since commencing my PhD last October, I have often felt that I've been thrown in the deep end, at times thinking perhaps I've bitten more than I can intellectually chew. I started my journey with a set agenda instead of embracing that seeking knowledge is a limitless process without boundaries nor an end. I'm very fortunate to have realised this notion quite early on and it has made every piece of new knowledge that I've acquired since immensely fascinating. The irony that comes out of this process is how limited the human intellect really is, compared to the wealth of knowledge that is available and how we can't grasp most of it. Many a times I dropped several books because I just didn't get their theories but a few months later when I revisit them, they make sense. I even feel silly for not 'getting' it before and laugh. It is a humbling experience but you feel yourself growing and making remarkable progress at the same time, both academically and personally. Last week I finalised my theoretical framework and research title after nine months of literature review. My research aims and methodology are taking shape and I feel quietly in control, something I haven't felt for many months! The natural storyteller in me is peeking through and I feel a story is coming out of this process on which I can confidently put my thumbprints on. The greater struggle is still ahead but as I look up, the journey to the finish line is looking to be a sweet one to enjoy.