Reading, Reading, and (You Guessed It!) More Reading

I knew that getting my Master’s would involve a mountain of reading.

Seeing as majoring in Political Science meant an amount of reading that I think was equivalent to (if not actually more than) that of an English major, of course I knew that grad school would be more of the same.

But, boy-oh, there’s more than I really imagined.

The first week was particularly difficult as we were reading fairly introductory articles and books (yes, whole books) to help acclimate those who had not studied Poli Sci in undergrad to the topics we will be learning about this year. But, now that we’re through those and getting into more substantial literature that I’ve not read before, it’s starting to get more interesting!

(Especially interesting to me, the Token American, is the amount of Marxist theory we’ve already delved into. Unsurprisingly, my professors in Mississippi didn’t have much of a focus on Karl Marx in our literature.)

So yes, a sizable portion of my days are spent reading, highlighting, and note-taking.

All of this reading has, unfortunately, really hindered my ability to participate in Inktober. I made it five days in following the prompts before being a bit overwhelmed by all of that. I have posted two other drawings since then (and have some in my journal that I haven’t posted), but I am a bit disappointed in how it all has played out to be honest. I really had an expectation that I would make it at least halfway through, if not more. Alas, as I mentioned, grad school is of a higher priority to me than Inktober.

(Though, you should absolutely check out Paperquirks Instagram feed to see the Inktober drawings that my mother has actually managed to crank out. They are so very rad and fun and her style makes me so very happy.)

I do still take jaunts to Barcelona though (My roommate and I went on Thursday because I needed to pick up some much needed Ocean Salt and Tea Tree Water from Lush and I also spent the afternoon and evening there Friday night with some pals from my program) so don’t you worry!

In other news, Sabadell has been beset by rainy weather. My roommate has informed me that this is quite the norm for autumn here, and while many do not like it, it makes me feel at home. I didn’t realize until my roommate had pointed it out, but Catalunya has a pretty similar geographic situation to Seattle in that it’s ringed with mountains — the Pyrenees — with a great big body of salty water beside it.

And, can I just say, having a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice while it’s gloomy outside is a very surreal experience. I tell you, the culinary disparity between the States and Spain…

I have a pretty exciting event happening on Thursday that I can’t wait to share with you all after it has passed. What it entails, you all will just have to wait to find out.

Thanks for reading and cheers!

I haven’t mentioned it in the past few entries, but I am still fundraising to support my grad school adventure! If you’re interested in donating, check out my GoFundMe here.