A year ago I was quite happy with my house, my town and the people I lived with. The only viable potential change on the horizon was possibly purchasing the lot next door and expanding our backyard.
That was before April when, on a whim, I applied for a full-time tenured position at a college 80 miles away. After multiple years of interviews and near misses, the interview process went smoothly all the way through to the offer. I finally found my niche. The commute seemed doable because it is a really a beautiful drive with very little traffic. Besides, I was used to the life of a freeway flyer, driving between campuses multiple times a day.
Despite my previous experience with commuting, the first semester was hard. I was so tired, so often. It seemed as though I spent all my spare time on the weekends sleeping. I thought I was just adjusting to full-time work at one location and more responsibility. Without a doubt, and even despite the fatigue, I LOVE the job, my colleagues and the students. It's been a slow fall into love; I held myself back at first because I was afraid that they would change their minds. (Apparently this is not unusual for new full-time faculty.)
Then one Thursday night I chose to sleep at a hotel after a late dinner with colleagues rather than take the long dark drive home. That was a transformative choice because I woke up completely refreshed Friday morning. This sensation brought a new reality into sharp focus: in order to continue at this job successfully, I was going to have to make some changes to my living arrangements.
The hubby and I have talked, and talked, and talked about multiple options. One of the other major changes that had taken place in the last year was that our children have moved home. Our son, his fiance and their blended family of three children are in our two extra bedrooms and our daughter moved her bed, dresser and bookshelves into the living room. The arrangement was working out so well that we were considering finding a larger spot to create a family compound. Now the arrangement has been challenged.
Options include: renting an apartment, small house or trailer, renting a house with a roommate or two, renting a room, kicking our reliable tenants out of our rental house and moving myself in. All this would perpetuate the one issue I really don't like, the fact that my life is now split between work and home. I'm not a fan of this; I end up feeling that I don't actually live anywhere, that I'm rarely truly home.
Ultimately the hubby and I have chosen to sell our home in Petaluma and move closer to my work.
Now we have to decide where that will be!
3 comments:
Ah, me, such decisions! But you've made an actual one, and not an easy one. Congratulations and good luck.
That's a big decision, but it sounds like the right one. It's WONDERFUL that you've found a job you love. Sometimes that's what the other decisions have to revolve around. Good luck as you embark on this process. I hope it ends up being more fun than not.
I can relate to the effort it must have taken to come to this decision. Good hunting!
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