Tonight I'm having that Cardiff feeling. The one where I feel so far from everyone I know and crave some casual hanging out with people I love. But also don't know how to talk to people or what I'd have to say. Of course, there's a difference, which is that there are now many people I love within walking distance. But spending half a day painting means I'm now supposed to spend the other half working on my research report for the London project I was working on a couple of months ago. So, just like in Cardiff, I need to spend time alone and force myself to get some work done. It's work I'm interested in, and it's going to help me get jobs, I hope. But since we've been back I've had a hard time wanting to do it. Part of me is still stuck over the ocean somewhere.
We're still not fully settled. We've got a great place to stay while we get our place in order (it had renters in it until Feb 1st). But I'm not in a job yet, and we know we still have to move again before we can really settle in. I did some temping for a couple of weeks, and that was okay, but shockingly tiring. I'll go back to that after painting and moving, until I find the right job, or I should say until someone thinks I'm worthy of one. So far, not even an interview. And it's bumming me out. I re-did my resume last night, that might help. And I'm trying to make my brilliance known by going to all these school food and farms meetings and food policy meetings and such. I'm afraid it's not going to work and no one will look at my resume and see my potential as a professional, and I'll end up being someone else's assistant again and forever.
Josh and I are painting our apartment, and we're really happy with it. We're having a great time painting together 4 or 5 hours a day, and eating meals together in between, and walking back and forth from the place we're staying. We've always liked spending time together, and have been known to spend entire weekend days walking across town and talking. But somehow now it's an extension of all that time in Cardiff where it felt like us alone in a world of strangers.
Off to work now. Wish me luck. Oh yeah, and if you know any policy advocates (lobbyists) who live in the Seattle area, let me know. I'm looking for someone to tell me what it's all about.
What about that guy who, a few years ago said 'if you go and get that degree, you totally have a job here.'
(surfer dude emph. mine)
I think he was with the city or something?
Actually there is a development job opening up at Humanities Washington. It might be a little off target for sustainability, but it's in the NFP world.
What he said was we could put together grants to make me a job (project-based, not permanent), and that was whether or not I got the degree. I need to call him, but I'm trying to go the real job route and not the project-to-project, grant-funded route. And I'm trying to steer clear of development--everyone's hiring, but it's not what I want to do, I'm not that qualified for it, and it would put me on that track more permanently than I'd like.
I'm still angling for the food and farming related jobs, with a climate-change/sustainability option if that comes up first.
Posted by: Appalachia at February 11, 2007 07:55 AM