::Big Sigh of Relief::

Draft Number Two is in my professor's hands. Thank fucking god. It's not as complete as I'd hoped it would be, but I feel like, just in the last couple days, I finally broke through the crushing weight of anxiety and got my writing groove back. After days and days of sitting at my computer, not producing anything at all, just editing and moving paragraphs around and feeling overwhelmed, I finally pushed through, finished my lit review, and began working on the actual thesis concepts. I have a fair amount more work to do to get to the final draft (due in about 4 weeks) but I'm not nearly as freaked out now. I've tasted what it's like to put forward my own ideas, and it's not as scary as I thought it was gonna be.

A very heartfelt thank you to a few people who lent support and inspiration in the final hours of the draft. First and foremost thanks to Ms. Astrid, who has loved me unwaveringly even though I've been a fucking wreck for weeks. Thank you to astro-b, DJ, and my family for letting me vent. And a very special nod to Mag, Dax, Ms. Crankypants, and The Undertoad for the last minute words of advice on the thesis writing process. Totally invaluable inspiration: thank you.