Dear employment agency, research centre and human research ethics board,

Thanks for approving my research proposal, for finding me the perfect job, and for the part time research work. I really appreciate it after being in a foreign land for the past 6 months trying to sort all this stuff out. Thanks for approving everything - and pressuring me to start everything RIGHT NOW - three weeks before I go home to visit my father who has cancer - and the week I am dealing with separating from my partner - the man who might just be the reason I am not in my home country. Maybe I should be thanking you all for giving me plenty of distractions?

Thanks,

A (who is hoping she may at least get stress-skinny out of this!).