This article is a reflection on the journey through the process of my doctoral studies. Published dissertations or research articles are very neat and tidy with no mention of any adversity or struggle. Hence why many doctoral students feel stressed, anxiety, or like quitting when obstacles or roadblocks are encountered. My doctoral program took much longer than anticipated, and my resulting dissertation veered far from my original proposal. What began as a mixed-methods study with a possible 1,400 surveys and 20 interview participants was morphed into a qualitative case study with one participant. There were many contributing factors, most uncontrollable and unforeseen and some unprecedented. In the end, I overcame the obstacles and persevered successfully completing my dissertation and doctoral program, but the struggles were worth documenting for others. Hopefully, current doctoral students and researchers can use this article as an anecdote when facing resistance along their pathway.