Finally, a long journey is coming to a close.  I think it was in April/May of 2006, I discovered through a friend that there was a small postgrad conference happening in Singapore in July of that year.  At the time I was writing my thesis on Australian family payments.  The conference captured my imagination and I started to write a paper on the subject of Singaporean and Australian fertility incentives.  I think it really was only an abstract at that time.  It ended up that I never got selected for that conference, but nor did anyone else from melb uni.  Perhaps it was fate, that around the same time I found the Endeavour Cheung Kong Award had extended its deadline by a month, which allowed me to draft and submit an application with the assistance of some kind friends.  In late December I discovered that I had won an Endeavour award, which allowed a 6 month research stay in Singapore.  I changed my thesis from Australian family payments, to focus on Singaporean family payments.  I had no idea that this decision would take a year and half to come full circle from beginning to end.  My trip and adventure to Singapore have been outlined below.  I arrived back in Australia on the 18th of Jan, expecting to submit my thesis sometime in March.  How wrong I was.  My thesis was no where near ready in March. 

 

However, today the 11th of July my thesis is ready to submit.  I completed the main writing and editing at 4 am in the morning.  And my reaction came so unconsciously that my mind spoke the words without me realising.  My mind said out loud,

 

"This should have been done a lot earlier"

 

It is true, my theis should have been completed earlier.  But sometimes life takes strange turns, there is no need to be angry or sad, one must accept ones situation and continually try to improve and learn, and most importantly to enjoy. 

 

I have really enjoyed my thesis experience, I have had highs and lows.  I have been in hospital in Singpaore, I have travelled to amazing places, and talked to many interesting and intelligent people.  I do not regret.

 

I am happy today to my core.  I realise that probably I could have done better, but I have climbed my mountain and it feels good.  As I look ahead, I see more mountains, even higher than this one, but I know that I have persistence to keep going and enjoy the journey as I go.