Ramblings of the Syracuse-Bound

This isn't controversial reading, but you should know that these next few posts are sort of space for me to work out feelings and for reminiscing. You may find yourself bored.

I should be doing a book review due Easter Sunday.  I am not confident that my kids won't continue to interrupt me, though.  And I have no inspiration concerning that paper.  I do have lots of things on my mind, like wishing our Washington DC trip wasn't over and looking ahead to my immediate future and all the things I have to do between now and next fall.  Haiti after Duvalier is important, I know, but I just can't force myself to concentrate with other big things going on.

So blog readers, you get the scoop before the general Facebook friend population.  We are moving to Syracuse.  A contract was successfully negotiated (but not yet signed, hence the hesitancy to throw that announcement up on Facebook).  

And I am so conflicted.  It is nice to have job security in this market.  A fairly prestigious university offered my husband a position he is excited about.  He will get to do the kind of research he wants, he likes the environment and the people we will be working with, he feels like there will be room to grow the department, etc.  It is a nice area that I think will be a nice place to raise a family. It is similar to Michigan in climate and culture.  It is affordable.  It means that we are not in limbo - there is a plan.

Any where we move, there will be an adjustment period.  Molly will have to go to a new school and make new friends, I have to figure out what's going on with Anna's schooling, Jeff will be absentee dad and husband again as the tenure clock starts ticking, and I will have to make new friends again (and leave the ones I've made here).  All that stuff I know we can handle and it's so not the end of the world... but I also know how hard it is.  The worst part is that our family will be nine hours away.  Which in a weird way is a good thing, because there are a TON of universities that are more than nine hours away!  But it kind of hit home last night when my mom was saying that she could probably only visit once a year, and I thought about that first birthday away when no friends show up on your doorstep with flowers nor can you go on a date because you don't know any babysitters.  Still, that's all familiar territory - I know what that pain feels like.  I don't know what it's like to be nine hours away from family.

Then there's the decision of where to live.  I take this very seriously.  We feel an urgency to settle down pretty quickly for the kids sake.  So I know that where we choose to live, we will be for a long time both because of the kids and because of the housing market (no flipping these days...)  So we're trying to decide which values are most important to consider when buying.  Is it important to be within walking distance to important things?  For Jeff to be on a bus line?  For us to have enough room for guests to be more comfortable (if you've stayed with us, you'll understand that sentiment.  My parents are only committing to visiting once a year and that may not be worth a guest room in itself - so if you want comfy quarters if you plan to visit, speak now!)? For room for me to have a big garden? Ultimately which school district do we think is the best fit?  

In the end, how lucky are we to have not only a job, but the kind of career opportunity Jeff has been working towards for four years!  This isn't settling for a position he feels so-so about: this is what he really wants.  Who gets those one in a million opportunities?!  I have a wonderful little family to move with, lots of long distance relationships and stuff like Skype and Facebook and blogs to keep connected to the friends and family we've made along our journey.  Look out - come September you might be hearing a lot from me!  Of course, I will be adding another class to my schedule and trying to settle kids into new routines and manning the post practically solo, so maybe not.  

Ok. This place is gross and so am I.  Better get going.  And I think I need to sign up for another race to keep me motivated.  It's too easy to not get up and run.