This post has been a little delayed partly because I wanted to take a breath after the women's NCAA tournament and partly because I've gone back and forth on how to write it, but not because of the difficulty of the post itself. But when in doubt, simplicity is usually the best answer, so: I'm taking a leave of absence from writing for the site for a while.
I don't know how long I'll take, but it's the right thing for me to do at this time. With my schooling nearing its end, the dissertation is taking more time and the job hunt will be firing up soon. Add that whole "be a good husband" thing on top, and the plate is already quite full.
It's also part burnout - well, more appropriately: impending burnout. Some of that is simply the result of writing through one of the most interesting times in a program's history, but some is just the time and energy required to do a good job at it. (Aside: I don't know how Joel kept his sanity while getting the site going.) I don't believe I burned out on the site yet, but I could see it coming, and I was already beginning to show signs of burnout in general. Though I never admitted it, it's a part of why I didn't add anything to the coverage of the men's basketball team. Sure, I don't really care for the men's game, but I just didn't have the energy to add any quality to what Joel and Will were putting out already.
But with the offseason at hand, it's a great time for me to step back and get through an already hectic phase in my life. I have no timetable in my head, and I suspect that any future writing will depend largely on how I'm situated job-wise in the future. I'm not calling it quits, but I'm also not placing any timetable on a return.
Over the summer, I'm going to be rather intentional about stepping away. I won't be around much and I likely won't be commenting at all. I know that if I try to "just chat" on the site, I'll get sucked right back into it, which would defeat the whole purpose of a leave of absence. Again, once the craziness of school is over and I get a chance to see how my new routine works out, I'll re-evaluate and figure out the best plan for myself and RTT.
Most importantly, I'm not taking a break because of the site itself. Between Joel, Will, and the peanut gallery, it's been nothing but fun.