A Moment of Truth: The Dissertation Defense

Monday came only too soon and I rallied at 5 a.m. when my mind (and nerves) woke me up. My defense was scheduled for 10 a.m. and I had to make sure we had proper Skype connection with one of the professors in Oslo, so I planned to arrive at 9 a.m. I stopped at my favorite Athens coffee shop and relaxed there, going over my presentation, as I sipped rooibois tea and snacked on a vegetarian breakfast burrito. I walked to campus and worked with the IT dude to connect the professor in Oslo...which was more problematic than expected, but we managed to come to a working (but not optimal) solution. Finally, the other three professors filed in and before I knew it I was on the HOT seat. My major professor explained the defense process to me and then asked me to leave the room:

1.) They ask me to leave the room and discuss between them if there were any major concerns or gaps.
2.) If not, then they invite me back in and ask me to make a 15-minute presentation covering the findings, key discoveries, challenges, and future pursuits.
3.) Each professor then asks me questions and gives me feedback on the work.
4.) They ask me to leave the room again and discuss if I passed and what revisions (if any) I need to make.
5.) If all is good, then I sign paperwork and jump up and down and scream my head off with pure joy and liberation!

The famous "arch" on campus!

By this time, my nerves had turned into adrenalin...and I was ready to kick some ass. They invited me back and said there were no major concerns or problems and I began my presentation. The Q&A with the professors was more like a discussion. I did not feel stumped or put on the spot at any moment, in fact it was great to talk in depth about my lover that I had been working with for the past two years...that I was about to DUMP! All of the questions and suggested revisions were fair and reasonable. After about one hour of Q&As they asked me to step out of the room and before I knew it I was walking back into a room full of congratulations! Woohoo! We signed the paperwork, which felt all too surreal and I did everything I could to stop myself from busting into my favorite dance move, "Drop that Ass...". Charlie was waiting for me outside the room and I melted into his arms with a true feeling of liberation. See ya later, DISS!

We celebrated by eating pizza (of which I had been craving). Later, and after a much needed nap, we met up with our Athens friends (the Brazilians, Mallory, our Latino dudes, and a few PhD colleagues) at a local watering hole, the Globe. It was a perfectly intimate way to celebrate a long 4.5 years of my life.