I seriously still cant believe the absolute amazing turn of events that has outlined my life within the past few weeks. I gotta admit, I was getting pretty jaded. I was completely content to keep living at home for another year or so and keep job searching forever. My life had some semblance of fulfillment. Puppy training with Lola was going great, she was super fun to show off when people came over. My parents and I developed a very comfortable routine. Everything was ok except for the fact that I felt no direction of where I was going or what was next. When I first started this search process, the whole reason I did a nationwide search and not just one limited to FL or the south was because I wanted the opportunity to live somewhere completely different, to live in or near a vibrant city with a lot of great experiences and people to offer. As my search wore on and I had been to several “cute and quaint” small college towns, I began to kind of give up on that dream. That I would be ok with living somewhere small for a while to move to the big city after I got my 3-4 years in. Even when I went on my on campus interview to American University I was sure that the visit was just the one time and I should really enjoy my stroll through the Glover Park neighborhood on a beautiful fall like day. Even after my interview, it felt so much like other interviews that I felt went great but never led to a job offer. I was even hesitant after hearing from my favorite reference and she said that she was pretty sure I was getting the job. I eventually heard from the search committee chair and accepted their offer. Even as my stuffed car sits in our driveway (seriously this is a fairly accurate representation):
I still cant believe it. I really dont think it will hit me until I am schlepping all 103023423 boxes and moved into my temporary apartment steps from campus. I have visited DC twice and LOVED it. It is such vibrant city with people from all over the world coming and going within its streets. Now I will admit I have a weird mix of adrenaline/excitement/apprehension/fear anytime I really think about living in my nations capital city. But I feel there are so many great experiences that the city and my new job have to offer that as soon as I settle in I will find my rhythm and niche for the city. Not to mention, I can make this a regular trip 🙂
katiesaidthis 