I am fortunate enough to write my dissertation in an office with a view. The best part is that I never liked to write in rooms which induce claustrophobia. The worst part is observing the outside world, well, as an outsider. It is almost as if I am watching the day unfold a la time-lapse photography style. A day in the life of HLS. I see familiar faces come in at around nine in the morning, and I see the same faces leave at around half past five in the afternoon. Only the sun’s position changes. Everything else stays the same.
Well, I suppose not everything. Four days from California, and a week away from Rome, I have made some progress on my research. Not in terms of pages but in clarity of thought. I should therefore appreciate any gains I make, however little. Maybe it will come faster as the days go by. Surprisingly, I enjoy working in this kind of quiet. These days, I leave my office with the sun still out. And with huge sports events currently ongoing, I have been going out with some friends in the evening to relax while watching them. Tomorrow, I am going out with a friend to watch the much-anticipated US v. England World Cup match, and to have a beer in the middle of the day. But not after finishing a chapter of yet another intellectual history book I am reading, and cataloging a list of archives I might have to consult during the summer.
Still, it is hard not to miss Rome. But maybe after I finish this chapter I will feel deserving enough to go on another vacation, provided there is not much financial burdens involved. As a friend reminded me a few weeks ago, I, of all people, have been trained long enough for delayed self-gratification. This shouldn’t be too hard. But it’s always easier said than done.
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