job...find job...

I went to Lawrence Thursday. It reminds me a lot of Holyoke, in fact I was sure that I had somehow teleported back to Holyoke when I crossed the bridge and turned onto canal street. I arrived early for my interview so I was able to give myself a driving tour of the city. Its post-industrial but in the recovery stage and is maintaining the character of the city as they refurbish. Everyone I spoke with at the school was super friendly and welcoming. I think having a good group of co-workers is so much more important than anything else. The principal hinted I have a good chance of getting this job, but he still has a few more interviews.

Bennington, VT was Friday's trip. So much driving this week! Its a beautiful area, people seemed nice, but its really rural. I'm not worried about not having stuff to do (I mean, how often do I really go out and do something only available in cities?). I am concerned about the lack of people. They seem super desperate for a math teacher. I had the interview, got the tour, met half the teachers and got pressured to come back to teach a class immediately.

I like Lawrence best of everything. Its big enough that there are plenty of people and things to do, but not so big that its full of traffic and chaos. Its near Boston, with the commuter rail giving easy access, so I could visit everyone living there. Plus, I get to connect math with theater and fine arts, how cool is that??

Revere

I had an interview in Revere this morning. Barring everything surrounding the interview, it went well. The school is very well organized, aware of the needs of their population and has adjusted the program to benefit all students. The woman who I spoke with was nice and she speaks highly of the math department. I think I could be quite happy there.

I got in my car at 7:30 am and did not get home until 1:30. I determined everything above in a 30 minute conversation- the rest of the time I was driving. $11 in tolls, $25 in gas, $8 for a half decent sandwich, endless driving on an endless highway and getting lost in the insanity of one way streets, rotaries, and combination street/rotary (there was a light in the middle of a rotary... seriously?): this all adds up to a headache. One thing I am totally certain of- I will live as close as possible to wherever I work, I hate driving.

Tonight was a ceremonial dinner of sorts with student teachers and our mentors. I don't feel done. I've managed to build up a substantial bubble to live in; I can plan for next year, pack and be done with everything MHC without really realizing it. I'm afraid of what will happen when my bubble gets a leak, I predict a huge flood.

the end

End of relationship.
End of student teaching.
End of normal weekends on campus.
End of assignments, reflection papers and school work in general.
End of mono?

Beginning of allergy season.
Beginning of job search.
Beginning of packing and moving at least 4 times in 3 months.
Beginning of an effort to use the phone, ever.

Graduation 2 weeks from today.

boston!

Things always do seem to fall into place as they need to.

I went to a job fair in Boston today, talked to a lot of great people who work for schools in the greater Boston area, who now want me to work there. I want me to work there too. Boston feels comfortable, yet refreshing. Like that lovely breeze blowing off the harbor today.

I love it when everything feels right.

accomplishments!

My brain is working! Its after 8 pm, and I can still do brainteasers, completed 12 in fact, to nearly clear out my email inbox. Also, I wrote complete paragraphs yesterday; that was less exciting, but a bigger deal in the overall scheme of getting things done. Tomorrow I will walk to the greenhouse in the rain, because the world is flooding and I don't know how to throw away plants. Violets flower year round if taken care of properly, who could really give that up? I think I may donate some spider plants to the greenhouse though, 3 of them outgrew their home and the big one is about to have babies again anyway.

Now to sleep before I ruin the good things I've gained.

snow

Snow in April.
Not little flurries, big fluffy flakes, coming down for over an hour.
I'm concerned for the state of the climate. I'm also concerned that I'll need to reanalyze my wardrobe, I packed away all my sweaters and moved t-shirts and tank tops to the front of my closet.

Vacation is this week but I keep forgetting that I don't have to get up early on Monday, its a pleasant surprise every time I remember. I have a very long list of things I'd like to accomplish, I have a feeling very few of them will actually get done, but something is better than nothing. Step one: be awake. I'll go work on that one.

time!

I'm home again, I have mono and a girlfriend (which I really did get in that order).
Still no job, probably because I haven't really applied for any.
And its April!
3 weeks left of student teaching, one week of break in the middle of that, off to GA/FL for vacation and then I graduate.

I'm very happy about all of this, except the mono part. That just makes me tired. Its shocking how little there is between now and the end of college, how much I have to look forward to in the meantime and at the moment how little panic I feel. Maybe thats just because I'm too tired to put any energy into panicking. Why is there a k in that word but not in panic? Weird.

Really though, life is great, so great that when I go to make a wish as I blow away an eyelash, I don't know what to wish for. The ability to write paragraphs might be nice... I can't write complete papers anymore, just outlines. Someday soon my brain should wake up and be able to think in more than just phrases.

Happy Easter Weekend!