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Illuminate Adelaide

It’s back – and how wonderful it was for me and my little family to finally see the light show through the Adelaide Botanic Gardens last week. Of course, I was worried about all the rain, but thank heavens that on Friday night, there was not a single drop of rain as we walked through the gardens for the (click on that link for a little sneak peek).

We were told that this year’s installations would be different from the Light Cycles’ theme of previous years. The concept for Resonate was to provoke us to ‘resonate deeply with our environment’ and it surely delivered. There were six different installations, and my favourite was ‘Transformations – hold tight then brave the storm’, which certainly felt like a simplified and truly immersive experience of my Ph.D. journey. The thesis-writing experience alone will undeniably transform me after all these years! Here’s what other Ph.D. students have said about their experiences:

• Pursuing a doctoral degree demands significant time, commitment, and sacrifice. It involves a transformative journey that not only expands one's knowledge but also shapes their character, resilience, and passion.
• Along the Ph.D. journey, neither the doctoral student nor the supervisor will have full control over what will happen. Some things will go wrong, which is why it is important to remain positive and try to make the most of what is a unique opportunity.
• When people go into a Ph.D. program, they may not realize what a large time commitment it is. Before the baby, I was working all the time, but I still had little time for leisure. Now it’s just Ph.D. work and baby work.
• Even with many of the negatives now being highlighted about pursuing a Ph.D. and a career in academia, I enjoy what I get to do every day as a graduate student.

I’ve walked through the Botanic Gardens many, many times. In fact, we’d often plan study break picnics in the Gardens because it’s an easy walk from the North Terrace Campus. How very different the Gardens were at night and with the light show – it was truly magnificent! This magnificence was only possible because of the darkness.

PS What follows below is a poem that always reminds me of that saying, ‘no pain, no gain’ and while I don’t necessarily think that every thing worth experiencing comes at a painful price, I do see how many meaningful ‘wins’ and moments are a product of gruelling and yet fulfilling experiences – childbirth, a university degree, sport premierships, and so on.

Earth

When you are in pain

Remind yourself

Of the earth and

How she must have felt

When she was born.

Every single one of

Her oceans

Her rivers

Her forests

And her sky

Must have

Caused her agony

In creation.

And from her, you will learn this:

Growth is a thing

Of beauty

And of pain,

Without heartache

There are no lessons

To gain.

-Nikita Gill, Wild Embers