I'm so proud of Deborah, the woman I am lucky to call my wife. She successfully defended her dissertation. This final step in her PhD journey means that she is now a doctor. We have never known each other without the requirements of graduate school hanging over her: taking classes, teaching classes, conducting research, preparing for comps, moving to Missouri for nine months for a fellowship, and finally writing and defending her dissertation.
With the pressure lifted, she is now ready to begin the next phase of her life. When she entered the UNC School of Journalism six years ago she expected to wind up teaching at a small college somewhere and sitting on her porch grading papers. A glass of wine in her hand, surrounded by cats. Her future path is uncertain, but that is not it. She's taking some time off while she explores her options. In the meantime, we have some celebratory travel on the horizon.
