Welcome to My Blog

Greetings, I am Brianna Lynn Wimer, and I wholeheartedly welcome you to this platform. If you find yourself here, you will likely wish to delve deeper into my identity, pursuits, and motivations. It is indeed an honor to share this academic journey with you. Allow me to state from the onset that I firmly believe in transparency. While I maintain a professional demeanor, I do not shy away from expressing my authentic self, my perspectives, or the narrative that is uniquely mine, irrespective of the readership. Hence, I kindly ask you to proceed only if you harbor a genuine interest in understanding who I truly am beyond my scholarly accomplishments. Suppose this platform is to present a picture of my academic achievements. In that case, it should depict the unique trajectory that led me here.

Haha, well, that was my first attempt... If you couldn't tell, I used ChatGPT to help me sound more 'professional' because sometimes I fear I am insufficient. I am sure many people in academia have had that experience – some form of professional insecurity. I experience that quite often. However, I read that paragraph to my partner, and he told me straight up, "That does not sound like you at all. Just be you." He was right. So, here I am, trying again. I am a very transparent person, though, probably about many things I should keep to myself, but that has everything to do with my upbringing from my amazing parents. That is for another time and another blog (maybe). This is just an introduction to me and why I am writing this blog.

My name is Brianna, but I resonate most with the name 'Nook.' I don't know where that nickname originated, but I probably respond faster to Nook than Brianna. Dealer's choice on what you call me because I answer to both. Fair warning, I use a lot of casino terminology, such as 'Dealer's Choice,' because I am a respectable gambler. I can spend 12 hours gambling daily and have the time of my life. I love BlackJack, Texas Holdem, Three Card Poker, Craps, etc. Not because I am a fan of wasting money, but because I love the statistics in the game, I love the people I meet. I love who I am when I am in a casino because titles and backstories don't matter. I get to turn off my outside life and enjoy a beer, meeting new people who appreciate table games just as much as I do. Before you think gambling is bad, think of it this way… Some people pay money for fancy dinners or great seats at a show. I choose to go to a casino and gamble. If you ever see me at a conference in a city with a casino and you're interested in learning, I would love to teach you. What else about me?

I am the best TV show binger you will ever meet. No joke, I watch shows with 10+ seasons constantly and watch about ~46 hours a week of TV. Visual stimulation is a weird necessity for me when I conduct research. For example, I watched all 19 seasons of Grey's Anatomy in less than three months. I've seen ( probably more than once ) every episode of Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order: SVU, 911 ( the regular one and the Texas one), Stranger Things, Chicago Fire, Jane the Virgin, Teen Wolf, Never Have I Ever, Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Charmed, Gotham, Modern Family, Power, Euphoria, Gossip Girl, Workin Moms, etc.… Name a long-lasting show, and I have probably seen it. Right now, I'm watching Game of Thrones in my evenings because of the attention it needs, but I am binging Suits throughout the day when I am working. Definitely a great contrast throughout my day.

The last major thing about me is… you may have guessed it from my home page… but my love and adoration for my dog, Sunny. Sunny is my soul dog, best friend, heart dog, everything and world. He is the dog that saved my life. What many people don't know about me is that I lost my only sister on my first day of undergrad at the University of Alabama. A sibling loss is hard enough, but imagine losing your sibling when you're across the country from your parents, not near any family, beginning a new life journey where no one knows you or what you're going through. To say the least, it was the hardest thing I ever went through. People expected me to go home, grieve with my family, and return to school. But that was never an option for me… I come from a town where we are accustomed to losing friends and family young; the expectation to always run home is precisely what my city wanted because it knows I would've never left. I had too much going for me. I was the seventh black Crimsonette in UA history and had scholarships. I couldn't give that up because I remember seeing how proud my sister was when she saw those accomplishments. I needed to make her proud and be the person I was expected to be. Whew, sorry for the sad background… back to my baby Sunny. I got him in my first year of college because when I moved out of the dorms, I lived in a single-bedroom apartment but hated being alone.

Sunny and I watched Adult Swim every night; we loved hiking ( despite the time he sprained my ankle ) and had movie nights with pizza every Friday night. He kept me company when I was away from family, licked every tear off my face every time I cried, made me a consistent schedule, and protected me from myself by teaching me how to be okay again when I thought my world was forever broken. He is very spoiled and a bougie dog with Halloween costumes and jackets to match the weather. We have lived in 4 different cities together, moving on our fifth in Seattle in a few weeks. If you're ever around me, Sunny is probably with me. He is very comfortable attending meetings and evening events with me. He even loves attending CSE parties and tailgates together.

So why would a young woman pursuing a Ph.D. that loves gambling, her dog, and binging TV shows decide to write a blog? Because I am the main character of my life, and I want to share my life with everyone. Not because I have an enviable easy life but because I survive my difficulties and see things differently than others. This world needs more relatable people willing to share. Once upon a time, I was a social media influencer with 100k on Tik Tok and 26k on Instagram. It was a great time, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't me. Not my most authentic version, at least, because I consistently tried to make my audience happy even if I wasn't. I am making this blog because the people who would read it are people who found it, who are interested in what I have to say versus just how I look. I love sharing my optimistic perspective with the world, especially academia. I am a proud underdog who works my butt off and understands how to overcome life's obstacles in a manner that does not make me bitter but thankful. In another lifetime, I was a motivational speaker. You'll understand why I say that throughout my blogs. But for now, I am just a woman hopeful of staying in academia, beginning a blog. It is true that the Ph.D. process can make us all a little crazy but my hope is to just channel that into funny and witty blog posts that make people laugh. If you ever find me in person, please talk to me because I am very personable, love meeting people, and hopeful to write a Ph.D. Grind of my generation (yes, I am indeed the beginning of the Gen Z's Ph.Ds). Thank you.

XOXO, Nook