As I was away for the weekend, I missed the three last prompts of Reverb10. Not to worry, though. I have answers.

Day 4. Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

Well, I am certainly not the kind of person who actively "cultivates a sense of wonder" in her life. Nevertheless, I danced and I traveled and both filled me with wonder so there's that.

Day 5. Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

I am in the process of letting go of my Californian life. It is going mostly smoothly and painlessly, but there can be a few hiccups. I do appreciate the hiccups as signs that I was having a good time there, despite working very hard, despite the pressure, despite wanting to leave.

Day 6. Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

I made roasted cauliflower the other day. With a cauliflower and an oven. Oh, and some cumin, too.

The only thing I want to make right now is a Jewish apple cake. I am pretty sure I will be able to clear some time for it.

I'm thinking that either I or these prompts are boring. Quite possibly both. They certainly make me feel like I'm not spending enough time in hemp clothes, meditating in the pigeon pose, sipping wheat grass drinks, or getting in touch with my inner self.

It was only a few hours ago today that I was writing about "the possibility that I just find every single one of the next thirty prompts [of Reverb10] stupid". Well, instructions for Day Two are in and...

Writing. What do you do each day that doesn't contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

Alright, it's not so much stupid as irrelevant. Reverb10 is meant for serious writers, not occasional bloggers whimsically futzing around with words. Which well, yes, of course, as 750words is behind the initiative, and 750words, being aptly named, is all about making yourself write, write, write. And even though, as a scientist (currently trying to write an efficient short communication), writing, writing, writing is a big part of my job, I somewhat don't think I'm in the target audience for that prompt.

I've actually had to read a few contributions (following Twitter's hashtag #reverb10) to make sure that the question was meant to be understood as something like "what do you do each day that hurts your writing" and bring a reflection on the useless, counter-productive elements of one's daily routine or approach to writing. Of course, my current daily routine is filled with useless, counter-productive elements: isn't that the point of taking time off? As for my days before graduating... did you really think you can finish a dissertation without eliminating all the things that don't contribute to your research or writing that you can eliminate?

But truly, my first reaction was more along the lines of "what is this I don't even" and wondering why someone would think that doing things, even on a daily basis, that don't contribute to their main center of interest is a problem. I do tons of things each day that don't contribute to my writing (or my research), I thought. Because I am not completely obsessed with it yet.

The fact that I didn't even understand the question at first is probably a good indication that I shouldn't try to answer it. That say, I do have a short answer: brushing my teeth. And no, I cannot eliminate it.

"So how does it feel?" they ask. Well, not really any different, except for the relief. Still, there are signs.

• My labmates call me doctor. Which is rather ridiculous. Except for the fact that I did the same with every single person who graduated from this lab before me. So I guess this is normal. Plus it's at best followed by my first name.

• There is champagne in my fridge. Not cava or prosecco or any of these less-than-six-dollars bottles of bubbly. Real champagne.

• There are flowers I didn't buy on my dining table. They are gorgeous.

• Mah phone. It keeps a-ringing. Same with Facebook, Twitter, and the blog's comment feed, if they had a ring tone.

• "Congratulations!" people yell when they see me, just before hugging me and asking when they can buy me a drink. Well take a ticket dear, because there's only so much booze I can ingest per night. (And it is, by many people's standards, quite a small quantity. What can I say, I'm a cheap date. Especially as I insist to pay every other time.)

What else is there to add to this title?

Well here we go folks...

Short nights, defense-related dreams and minor freak outs started on Thursday, a bit earlier than I expected it, but not surprisingly altogether. Friends have been lovely, sending messages to check with me and inviting me over for lunch or dinner to help me relax.

I had a wonderful evening on Saturday, eating a North-African inspired dinner with my favorite woman in the whole of the United States and her boyfriend (who is defending his own dissertation on Thursday), and chatting about topics as diverse as wireless electricity, racism^[1], religion, strong women, non-traditional relationships, and whether or not I would find myself suddenly falling for someone in the US during my last month here^[2].

I have been sent good vibes from all over the Northern hemisphere; my labmates sent an invitation to a bowling and dinner party for tonight that contained the words "inevitably successful"; and even the committee member I am the most worried about (who is very kind but also very rigorous) emailed me to say he had read the draft, was impressed, found it full of interesting ideas and thorough work, and is sure I will do well. All this, of course, doesn't really prevent me from feeling quite stressed out at this very moment.

And in a minute I'll go, make some coffee, and start setting up the room.