Introduction

I have no idea where to start. I have been thinking about this for years but didn't have the courage to do this. Here goes nothing. I have been thinking about a PhD since I started working with The Burkenroad Reports at A.B Freeman School of Business,Tulane University. I watched my Professor Peter Ricchiuti and I said to myself... "I want to be an academic". I love doing the research. After I finished my bachelor in Science Management (majoring in Finance and Management) I started thinking of proceeding with my PhD. I had talked to the post grad coordinator at Tulane about pursuing with my intentions to continue. However, I didn't proceed with this intention at this time because I thought I would be able to sit for my GMAT back home in Malaysia. Then, an advertisement in the Newspaper about a master program at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) had me convinced that I will return to the United States to proceed with my PhD as soon as I finished my Master at IIUM. As you guessed it, it did not happen as planned. I got a job, got married, had a baby, and working on my master. Finally, I finished my master in December 2002.

Five years has passed since my initial though of doing my PhD. As soon as I thought of getting back into the PhD route, I got pregnant and had another baby. Now with two kids and a career that was unsure, I decided to continue and concentrate on my career. I was confirmed in my position as a lecturer at University Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in the year 2006, in which, at the time, I had my second son. I was thrill to have the baby and the confirmation. However, I still need to fulfill my goal to continue with my PhD.

In the year 2008, I went to Iran to present a paper. I was ecstatic to finally contribute to the body of knowledge and present myself to the scholarly world. It was here my roaring need to proceed with a PhD became more apparent. I had applied for the 2008 scholarship but was told by the committee in the selection process that I was not ready. I was hurt and left rejected to see that they didn't know that I was ready even before I graduated my With my bachelor's degree. However, it was during the APEC conference in Iran that lead me to think that I don't need people telling me that I was not ready. I will try again this time I will be prepared. I applied for the scholarship armed with a PhD proposal that would get me there. Yes, this proposal was to shake the world. I even got comments that "I would need at least 20 years to finish the research" to "this is the best proposal they have ever seen". So my PhD journey begins here. 

In conclusion, this blog was initially a blog about my PhD journey. I am still working on my PhD. I realize to finish the PhD, I have to see the process as my academic journey. Life must go on. Life does not stop just because you decided to take the plunge into the highest level of academic qualification you could obtain. Life still carries on. Now, this blog is about your need to balance your life (spiritual and all) and your  need to quench your thirst for knowledge.