Time to updateSo, it's been a while since I made a journal entry. I'm sitting at work, with nothing to do, so I'll make one. There are big deal updates.
First, and biggest deal of all, I GOT A MOTHERFUCKIN' NEW JOB. No, my job is not fucking mothers. Thank the gods for that, because I'd be really bad at that. Instead, I now have a sweet, multi-word job. I'm the new Program Coordinator for the Stabilization in Key Areas-West Afghanistan project at AECOM International Development. Look at that mouthful! Mmmmm, feels good in the mouth. That's definitely what she said. It's based out of Arlington, VA, so I get to continue living where I'm living. But, I also get to travel to Afghanistan several times a year! Yes, get to, not have to. I'm a bit reckless and thrill-seeking, so getting to go to Afghanistan is pretty fucking awesome in my mind. I've been working here now about a week and a half, and while it's mostly admin work, I'm totally fine with that. The project is interesting, I've got fan-fucking-tastic benefits (health, vision, dental, life, metro benefits, tuition reimbursement, bike maintenance allowance (!), three weeks paid vacation) and a nice salary that starts at $40k, and there's lots of room to grow. I feel pretty lucky, especially because I got the job thanks to the fact that my roommate works at AECOM, though with another division. I found a posting for the position on a development jobs board and immediately had her refer me. And here I am!
Second (and, okay, I think that was my only real big deal update), this last weekend I went to NY and had an incredible fucking time running a Tough Mudder with an AT buddy who I've developed a really close friendship with even after ending my time on the Trail. I came out of it with my knees bleeding from crawling through gravelly mud and up muddy, gravelly inclines, but that's just proof that it was a good time. Pics here.
Other stuff has happened in the mean time (batshit crazy relationship that's ongoing, travels to see friends), but nothing really worth posting a journal about.
I'm very proud of myself right now for posting a journal. I mean, I know I'm a big deal and y'all have been waiting to hear things from me. You're welcome.
Getting antsyI've gotten to that point in time where I'm getting fed up with being in the same place for too long. Make no mistake, I love DC. There are a lot of positives about living here. Realistically, I'm not sure I actually even want to move away. But I do feel incredibly restless. A big part of this is simply the fact that I haven't found a good job as of yet. I'm getting by with the restaurant job that I have, but I of course want something more. I just haven't yet found it.
Really, though, this restlessness is a good thing. Part of the reason I haven't found a good job is that I've been comfortable enough in life that I haven't been looking really hard for other work. I've put in applications here and there, but not as diligently as I need to. I'm finally starting to get to the point where I'm broadening my job search to a number of different cities (especially cities in the West, as I miss real mountains; I also yearn for the Northwest, and would love a job in Seattle), and even strongly considering international positions. I think I've mentioned before, though, that my optimum position would be one that allows me to live in DC and travel abroad every now and again.
A big part of this change in feeling about where I am in life is that my current roommate is leaving in 3 weeks to start a DoD contracting job in Afghanistan. I know it's Afghanistan, but I am intensely jealous, because I too want to pack up and move somewhere for an interesting job. So I'm trying actively to make that happen. Even if it just leads me to a job in DC that doesn't get me out of the country, that would be an improvement. It feels good to be getting serious again about looking for better work. And just the idea of finding a job in another city is kind of exciting.*
*On an unimportant side note, I'm trying really hard to find a job in Burlington, VT. Though in some ways I really hate the idea of moving to another small city, Burlington is kind of magical, and Vermont has so many of the things I want: mountains, lakes, outdoorsy guys, progressive politics, snowboarding, community. There's an international development organization based in Burlington whose employment board I'm stalking, looking for the right opportunity.
It reminded me of how much I miss that life. It sounds a bit strange, but seeing those soviet block buildings and that run down infrastructure brought waves of longing to be back living in my Soviet block building, going to work every day at my NGO, hitchhiking to other volunteers' towns on the weekend, hosting CouchSurfers all summer, hiking in the mountains of Armenia, celebrating Armenian holidays and special events with my Armenian friends, and speaking another language all the time. Even though I've made other friends since leaving Peace Corps, there's no one I want to be around more than other Peace Corps volunteers, and especially all the ones I served with.
In the end, there's no reason to keep pining away over it, since it's not going to bring those times back. And I am going to get to see some PCV friends at a wedding in a week, so I have that to look forward to. But videos like that just make me yearn to be back in the Peace Corps.
It reminded me of how much I miss that life. It sounds a bit strange, but seeing those soviet block buildings and that run down infrastructure brought waves of longing to be back living in my Soviet block building, going to work every day at my NGO, hitchhiking to other volunteers' towns on the weekend, hosting CouchSurfers all summer, hiking in the mountains of Armenia, celebrating Armenian holidays and special events with my Armenian friends, and speaking another language all the time. Even though I've made other friends since leaving Peace Corps, there's no one I want to be around more than other Peace Corps volunteers, and especially all the ones I served with.
In the end, there's no reason to keep pining away over it, since it's not going to bring those times back. And I am going to get to see some PCV friends at a wedding in a week, so I have that to look forward to. But videos like that just make me yearn to be back in the Peace Corps.
SoooooI have to go to The Forum section now to see the threads I have on watch, instead of just being able to see it in my homepage?
Yeah, that enhances my user experience a lot...
Considering the forum threads I have on watch are the first thing I check here, I guess I'll just go ahead and change my bookmark. Why did the person doing the user page redesign think that was a great choice?
Hey Safari, I'd like to use youYou play much nicer with the RT site, have full screen mode and autosave in Lion, have extensions now, and are just a nice browser all around. But no three finger swipe for page up and page down? Back to Firefox.
Watch
Add Friend
