Step in the Right Direction

I am two pages shy of submitting my dissertation proposal. It seems like forever that I have been working on it – falling in and out of love with my research topic and direction – being this close to finalizing it feels right. I know that there will inevitably be feedback from my advisor and some changes to the overall proposal, but after spending this much time with it (too long to share), I am starting to feel comfortable with what I have put down, in black and white. I see not only a direction, but a solid framework to forge ahead with. With my chapter outlines almost finished, I am eager to get to the “fieldwork – of course, I have to defend my proposal (both in writing and then orally) before I can get too far ahead in terms of actual work, but as the sun peeps out of the foreboding clouds (it has been raining for days), I think that the step has been taken, a solid, heavy step in the right direction.