One of my favorite descriptors for Ebenezer Scrooge (in the book and A Muppets Christmas Carol) is “as solitary as an oyster.” I think it’s something we can all relate to throughout the pandemic. We’ve all missed seeing family and friends at times. If you’re like me, you missed seeing family for Thanksgiving and you’re doing the same on Christmas. For the past few months, I’ve had another reason to be solitary: finishing my Master’s thesis.…
One day, I decided that it would be to have a fish tank. The more I thought of it the more enamored I became with the idea. I read articles online about the best fish for beginners. I joined a fish tank forum site. After putting all that time in researching, I even convinced my parents to let me keep the fish tank in my bedroom. But this is not a cheery tale. I learned…
As a single guy living the grad school life, budgeting was simple. I didn’t have student loans, my 2003 Honda was paid off, and my food costs were pretty low. I just had to balance my spending with my research assistant’s paycheck. That was always easy to do. One paycheck covered the rent, the other paycheck covered everything else. Over my two years of grad school, I even managed to squirrel away a decent chunk…