Oh Boy Here I Go Studying Again

So here we are again - I am currently in Japan taking a 3-year doctorate in law (LL.D). My proposed program of study is in computational law. I've been here a month now, but I still catch myself wondering why I had to bother with all this. I have established an equilibrium in the UP College of Law's regular faculty (tenure, a directorship, and a professional chair in the bag). I suppose it all boils down to: 1) I really like researching and writing, especially in the intersection of law and technology; 2) After years of being stuck in the world's longest COVID-19 lockdown, I really missed Japan. 3) There's an advanced degree at the end of this process - which could be handy for the academic rat race. 

Still, I often find myself pining for some of the things back home. I miss my stuff - the car I can take to Tagaytay on a whim, and the gaming console I can use to let off steam. I miss my colleagues in the College. I miss being in charge as an administrator (and all the respect and influence that comes with it). I even miss my students. It doesn't help that a doctorate student's path is a lonely one. When I was taking my master's I would have day-to-day coursework, with regular exposure to classmates and teachers. My life now revolves around the all-important doctoral dissertation. Whatever little required coursework I have exists to support the research and writing process. But that can be done from anywhere these days. So I will have to construct for myself something that will justify the time and treasure spent on bringing me to this point.