Late arrival and PhD In-Person Day #1

Thursday January 13

After being delayed 30 minutes due to snow in Minnesota, I landed in Memphis and waited for my flight to Gulfport. And waited and waited. Food vouchers were issued. I hung out in the Delta Skylounge for hours. Hours later I finally arrived in Gulfport, but I arrived to good friends who picked me up and who had pizza ready for me to eat! Thank you Madeline, Brian, and Jane.

Friday January 14

Up too early Friday morning (but I did see a lovely sunrise) and then off to Day 1 of the In-Person and the 7:30am Welcome and breakfast. Also on the schedule for Friday was a Qualifying Exam Workshop, lunch (which included grits! No, I did not try the grits) with a talk by Dr. Sayre, “Youth Employment and Unemployment in the Middle East,” and then my first class: Qualitative Methods. Dinner and four interesting student panel presentation rounded out the In-Person. Later that night I made the annual pilgrimage to Juan Tequila for Mexican food and this time there was a one-man Band doing cover songs. Issam, Erica and the boys, Madeline and Brian, and I had a good time and mostly stayed awake!