The importance of being away.

When I was in Ottawa last week, I had very little to do during the weekdays except spend time at my archives. I would wake up (early), get to town, start working, take a lunch break, and then do more work before heading home at the end of the day. I didn't get as much done as I would have liked---darn having to meet up with friends, and having a chatty archivist!---but there were few distractions. Especially because I did not have internet access.

Now that I'm back in Toronto, I understand the value of being out of town for actually getting work done. So far this week, I've been busy, but I've accomplished very little. Very. Today: Hosted my reading group, went grocery shopping, decided what grants to apply for, and need to meet EC in a bit for more shopping. Yesterday: Prepared for the reading group, went to lecture, spent 1.5 hours at the bank, went to coffee hour. Monday: Trin high table dinner (much fun---thanks DS), met with a student, prepared for meeting with said student, spent an hour with HD (just back from being away), and did internet and telephone errands. So you see how I really haven't done anything dissertation-related this week. (I did send my committee members my proposal by e-mail on Sunday, though.) And starting tomorrow I need to begin grading assignments like crazy. I brough 95 of them home with me last night . . . and I'm leaving town in a week and a half, so they have to be done by then.

I now understand why some profs or students might want to isolate themselves for a bit: not because they are antisocial or being difficult, but because then they might actually produce something!