Where I've Been!

Hello all! It has been a hot minute since I've posted anything. Similar to the break I took when fall term began, I also took a break during winter term to focus solely on school. But now that the term is over and I've survived my first year of grad school, I'll have a lot more time to dedicate to blogging. But for now, here's an update from the past few months. 

What I've Read

I'll be honest, I wasn't reading consistently over winter term. In fact, I had to shorten my Goodreads goal from 100 books to 75 books this year. I think this goal will be more achievable. I did read some memoirs from Indigenous authors, such as A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt. Belcourt is a queer Indigenous writer and his memoir explores familial bonds, masculinity, and critiques of Canadian colonialism. It was very well-written and I'd recommend. 

My sister has also recommended to me some thrillers to read over the summertime. I will definitely be getting into those and hopefully then my reading will become a lot more consistent. Despite not reading a whole lot, the books I did read I enjoyed, and that really is all that matters! 

Blog Stuff 

I'm really sorry that I haven't been all that consistent in commenting since the fall. Usually even if I don't blog I can blog hop, but now I'm feeling very out of the loop with what other people have been posting. I will definitely be more consistent now with keeping up with what y'all are reading and writing! 

Life Stuff 

Of course, school is now over for the year and I'm really happy with where I'm at. My grades were good, I have a solid plan for the next few years, and I'll have the opportunity later this month to visit a Canadian province I've never been to; Manitoba, to attend an Indigenous literary studies conference. I really do love presenting conference papers, so I'm excited about that. 

Over the winter I started dating again, and I have now been with my partner for five months. He makes me super happy, but of course at the beginning of our relationship we were busy getting to know each other, and figuring out if we'd be compatible. Given my social anxiety and panic disorder, entering a new relationship was not without its stressors. But I am happy to report that my partner has been amazingly supportive of my mental health and he has educated himself on how best to help me during times of panic attacks. I am truly grateful for every moment we spend together, and now that we have been dating for a bit of time, things have mellowed out so that we can just enjoy each other's company without any pressures attached. It's been very very nice and I am so happy. 

This summer I'll have to prepare for my comprehensive exam, which is a big examination that I will do in the fall which will test me on foundational texts within the field of Indigenous literary studies. Luckily I have friends also prepping for the exam, so we will definitely be supportive of each other and help one another study. But I also have some fun stuff lined up for the summer as well, including weddings, a family vacation, and maybe a baseball game or two. So it won't be all work for sure! 

That is basically what I've been up to the past few months. A lot of work, but some happy life updates as well. Like I said, I am looking forward to blogging again and reconnecting with blog friends. I'm glad to be back! 

How have you all been? Has anything new/exciting happened in your lives? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess