A PhD life sitcom: It's the friends who make you appreciate the journey

Before starting the PhD, there was a sense that there was no doubt it was a long journey ahead. I’m no stranger to long journeys or solo travel so the PhD was almost an intellectually perfect fit. I often pictured any long piece of writing, be that the two previous dissertations or the two novels that I’ve written, as long climbs. Long climbs, for example, on the bike are always more about mental strength than physical.