This study explores the ways in which different life events I experienced between 2008 and 2013, such as my divorce and a new romance after the divorce, have affected my research as a PhD student. By examining the relationship between these events and my development as a researcher, I consider how the complexity of emotions and affect becomes a source of possibility for understanding my research participants and producing multidimensional, ethical research. Recognising the reciprocal relationship between researcher and researched subjects during the research process can, in fact, enrich researchers and create a better understanding of their own work and an understanding of the ways in which the research itself fits within their broader life goals.