GA Days 47-54 (January 21 - 28, 2024) - As I hit the end of Week #3 (technically, it is 2 1/2 weeks since arriving) my work has really ramped up post-vacation and as the semester at UM begins. It is my non-teaching semester that, aside from ensuring I get my vacation time in, is meant for me to focus on the research projects I have in play, get on with writing (and I have so many manuscripts on the go I am way behind), consider grant writing, and prepare for my summer teaching assignment. The summer course I will teach is a new prep for me and, although a subject I am interested in, has some historical (philosophical) challenges of its own. On top of all this, I am here as a Visiting Scholar that is technically not required work and I do not have release time for. But it is an opportunity I am humbled and honored by, and a chance for me to receive recognition of my experience and expertise - it is also an opportunity to network and explore potential future horizons. To say the least, I have a lot of work ahead and it is necessary for me get into a disciplined routine. Even my blogging has waned due to the lack of time…well, maybe time management.
So, here I am, sitting in a coffee shop that has become a bit of a favourite for me. Many of you who shared my journey through masters and PhD work will likely remember the amount of time I spent in coffee shops doing my reading, note-taking, and writing. While many people need quiet and solitude for academic pursuits, I thrive on the surrounding hum and buzz of white noise. With the exception of preparing for an exam or needing to concentrate for intense writing, there is something inspiring about being in coffee shop that is stimulating - the energy, the people watching, the caffeine 🤔 Whatever the magic behind it, I both do some of my best work and support the local economy in a coffee shop.
In relation to routine, this is the first day I have had time to steal away and carve out time for writing in a coffee shop. And it is something that I will have to include in whatever schedule I develop. As challenging as the academic hamster wheel is for having any life balance, at least until tenure is achieved, a change of scenery means physical movement to another spot and it is helpful to break up the work day a bit. But it has to be built into my routine to ensure it happens and my plan for the remaining time here is to have a fairly set structure to both my regular workdays and weekends. Just as regular exercise needs to be in the mix.
Most days since coming here I have either gotten long morning walks in (whether in the neighborhood or on the beach), plus some ocean swimming. For instance, this morning Angela and I went on a 10.5 km walk to explore the UFSC campus and its surrounding neighborhood - it was a beautiful morning that probably ought to have been a beach morning, except for the threat of rain (that never did materialize). However, this last full work week was pretty wet as La Niña unloaded a huge amount of precipitation along the Brazilian coastline. And I do mean wet, as some days we had intense periods of torrential rains where water was cascading down the ridge behind the condo flooding a few areas. On the university campus some low-lying grassed areas had huge pools of stagnant water - ideal for mosquitos to breed. And saturation to the extent that ground beneath pavement and flagstones were causing pretty significant heaving and (gasp!) potholes! Yes, potholes! OK, Winnipeg and Montreal - you have to share that claim to fame.
Fortunately, I did not have any meetings in Floripa this past week that required travel. Instead, myself and, sometimes, Angela would meander outside between rains to get groceries or fit in a bit of exercise. There is a gym in the condo building that I do intend to fit in…so the trick will be to alternate that with walking and beach time. But the one delightful meeting I did have here occurred at the condo (with migration to SpotMarkt Mall for lunch) with Maria Alice, who I co-supervised, and our main goal was to get organized on the manuscript for her PhD work. It was so wonderful to reunite since her visit to Winnipeg and Montreal with Angela last year; it was also because of her PhD work the genesis for this visit to Florianopolis sprung forth.
There are other dimensions for me to consider in establishing my routine. The first is distraction. Granted the first 10 days were a novelty with my arrival and there being so much to take in, to see, and to do…and there is still so much yet to experience here. But I must be resolved that distractions be built into my disciplined routine by setting time aside for them to be planned; what really interferes are sudden last minute invitations and changes of plans, which must be minimized.
Second, there is the coordination of my routines with those of my generous hostess and her son. I am a morning person, I have had a long established routine for when I start my work, have my morning coffee, eat my meals, do my exercise, and organize my day - most who know me are familiar with my quirkiness in this regard and, likely, have appreciated how that has driven my productivity. Ah, yes - the instilled Victorian Protestant work ethic and years on the farm! But, of course, this means that spontaneity needs to be planned or it throws my whole schedule and productivity off. Trying to square that off when there are two other people with their own routines has been somewhat of a challenge for me, but things are certainly evolving as we work things out. For me, respect of the living space and routines of any host/hostess is paramount…as is pitching in to help in daily chores, like meal prep (which, I must say, I am getting fairly organized with).
One other dimension to routine is being independent in my schedule. Part of this means learning how to find my way and get around on my own. The other is doing a better job at sharing and coordinating my itinerary. Now that 2 1/2 weeks have passed I am getting well-oriented to Floripa and a general sense of how to navigate the geography. My main point of reference is Mirante do Morro da Cruz, which is a high ridge (low mountain?) that has a series of transmission towers at the top. When I first saw it, I immediately thought of an evil crown - you know, the kind that Cersi ought to have worn in Game of Thrones. Anyway, this landmark is quite prominent and visible from almost every part of Florianopolis. And now that I have been around the perimeter of Morro da Cruz I have a pretty good feel of direction. As well, with the generous help of Arthur (Angela’s son), I was able to tap into a great wifi plan with one of the better cellphone carriers here (Vivo, should you need it). Now that I have the package, I have access to Google maps (in case I lose sight of the evil crown) and ability to summon Uber. Uber is super cheap here and, from what I have experienced, pretty efficient.
As for sharing and coordinating my itinerary, that is a work in progress. My itinerary for here is almost, but not quite, complete. I started the work on that early last Fall and was not able to get all details nailed down before I got here - not for lack of trying. In any case, this has to be sorted soon because I have to weave it into both my UM commitments and service (i.e., association work) for my electronic schedule plus factor in the 3-hour time difference.
So my goal is to have a disciplined routine schedule to manage my time look like this:
Monday - Friday
5:00 - 7:00 a.m. Coffee, clear emails, do some writing/project work, and have breakfast
7:00 - 10:00 a.m. Fit in exercise (walks or beach is good, gym if not) and shower
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Work, work, work…(UM comes on line beginning about 11:00 a.m. my time)
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Lunch (another change of routine…lunch is the bigger meal of the day)
2:00 - 6:00 p.m. Work, work, work…
6:00 - 9:30 p.m. Social time, light dinner, unwind
Saturday & Sunday
5:00 - 7:00 a.m. Coffee, clear emails, do some writing/project work, and have breakfast
7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Fit in exercise/playtime, shower,
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Lunch
2:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Flexible but will always need to fit in a couple hours of work.
At least, that is the plan...
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