About eighteen months ago, I set out on a journey walking the islands of the Dodecanese during a sailing trip in Türkiye and Greece with several friends. Along the way, I found winding paths, timeless villages and breathtaking views of sea and sky. That experience got me thinking about how adventure shows up in other parts of life, especially in learning.

Graduate writing can feel like a marathon—long, demanding, and full of unexpected detours. But as Tristan Rebe, Program Manager for the Graduate Writing Center, reminded students in the Grad15: Managing the Writing Process webinar, writing is not about perfection—it’s about progress. “The best dissertation is a done dissertation,” Rebe said, quoting Robert Frost: the best way out is through.