Highs and lows

by mtsofan via Flickr

Well, friends, this week has been an interesting one.

My supervisor was on vacation this week and, boy, did she pick one hell of a week to take off. Things are gearing up thanks to the impending start of the fall semester and requests came rolling in. I felt like all I did was put out fires left and right so that my department didn't become consumed by a blaze.

Yesterday I received an email from my alma mater informing me that I was not chosen as a candidate for a librarian position I had applied for. I wasn't particularly surprised or upset by this news, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't sting a bit. The familiar feeling of desperation came back tenfold and I scrambled to find some more jobs to apply for regardless of how good of a fit they were or where they were located. My stress level soared and I began to make all sorts of alternative plans for myself. Clearly, if one library doesn't want you, none of them will, right?

As I lay next to my boyfriend after work, feeling pitiful and half watching episodes of Star Trek, I reached over and mindlessly checked my email. In between two pieces of junk was a sender's name I recognized. I sat up and poured over the email, simultaneously smiling and crying. A university in California wants to have a phone interview with me.

I don't think the reality of the whole thing has really hit me yet. Granted, the reality it's really anything permanent or sure. A phone interview is not a guarantee for an in person interview or for being offered a job. But it is a start. I'm waiting for confirmation on the time of the interview and I'm guessing once I have the date and time in mind, the reality and, therefore, the nerves will begin to set in.

One of my concerns about the position is the fact that California is really far away. The farthest west I've been is Nashville (which I think is pretty laughable). Living in California will be pretty lonely at first since I barely know anyone out there. Sure, I have some extended family members and an acquaintance of sorts who live there, but that's not much compared to the support system I have in place on the east coast. And we of course can't forget about the Virginia based boyfriend. I know that I'll make friends, just as I've always managed to make friends where ever I've gone, but packing your life up and starting over is a grueling process.

The job does sound pretty awesome though and my work experience fits well with their requirements. Moving to the west coast would enable me to have so many new adventures. It's not like I'll have to live there forever either. I could try it out for a year or two and move somewhere else if it doesn't pan out.

Sigh. Being an adult is tough, y'all.