Thought I'd update this a bit.

Since the last post, I finished my dissertation and graduated with a Master's with merit (think of it as graduating cum laude in America). Sucked to not graduate with distinction given how well I did in my classes but there were a lot of hitches in my dissertation that made my topic much harder. Would've done better if I picked something less tech heavy.

The job hunt was rough because of the timing of receiving the degrees. Even though I had finished my coursework and was certain to graduate, you don't officially graduate until months after the fact. So the hiring season for my job was long past and left me in a **** spot. I found some work within my field but nothing particularly exciting. Honestly, life's been pretty damn uneventful for late 2018 and for most of 2019 as of right now.

That is until I received a job offer that will move me to Prague at the end of August. Crushed the interview and the demo class with ease. They didn't even need to tell me that I had it. I just did. I also got offered some summer work here in the UK but the logistics of starting in Prague might interfere with pretty much any summer work I get. It's kind of a bummer since it'd be nice to enter Prague with a nice cushion to land on.

That leaves me doing...what? Yeah, kind of a bummer for the next 2 months. Some work here and there but nothing worth writing about. Many of my former classmates face the same situation. Bit ridiculous I suppose but oh well. Of course I could miracle my ass into a better job here for the fall but the odds are slim.

I'd say I'm in a better place mentally. I'm less depressed than I was a few years back. I'm more content with who I am as a person and feel less forced to push myself out of my comfort zone in order to become "better". With exception to one cheat meal a week, I no longer consume meat. I almost never drink alcohol nowadays. As a matter of fact, I had a beer for the first time in months yesterday. I focus some spare time on cooking and baking. A bit feminine perhaps but I really do like it. Feel like a bit of a mad scientist when it comes to this stuff. I think there's also a lot of joy in making something with your hands and watching others enjoy it.

Saw some overripe bananas and decided on making some banana bread. First time I've made bread here.

Ingredients

-3 slightly overripe bananas, mashed in large mixing bowl
-1/3 cup of melted better
-1 teaspoon of baking soda
-pinch of salt
-3/4 cup of sugar (adjust in accordance to desired sweetness)
-1 extra large egg, beaten
-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
-1 1/2 cups of white flour

1. Butter a 4 x 8 bread pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mash bananas with fork until smooth and add to mixing bowl
3. Combine all other ingredients, adding them in the order listed above.
4. Continue mixing vigorously until mixture begins to thicken and become dense.
5. Pour into bread pan and place bread into oven for 1 hour
6. Remove bread from pan and let cool for 15 minutes before serving

Pictures

From above


Side view


Next time, I'll be swapping in some different ingredients to make a healthier banana bread, hopefully without sacrificing too much deliciousness.

I’ve enjoyed your personal blog. I hope the best for you and I hope you continue to share with us.