Onward and Upward

In the lottery that is life, we just won the jackpot. Last week, C accepted a tenure-track job at a research one university in the DC area. We are over the moon.

Getting a tenure-track job is always an accomplishment; getting one the  first year out is awesome; getting one in this market is lucky. Don't get me wrong, C totally deserves this position. It's just that there are more deserving people out there than there are jobs, so it's important not to confuse deserving a job with feeling entitled to one.

We had always known that we would move wherever C got a job, and that wherever could be a place that isn't very desirable, so I spent a lot of time daydreaming about our future life in various locations - small towns, big cities, the West Coast, the South, middle-of-nowhere plain state, etc. For some reason though, I had never considered DC. It just wasn't on my radar. Now that we know it's where we are going, I've started looking into it, and it's totally awesome. Aside from the higher cost of living, the massive traffic problems, and terrible public schools, it's paradise. We have not one, but two, major airports. We are within weekend driving distance of at least 3 other major cities. We can drive to beaches or mountains. Baltimore crab and North Carolina barbecue have been our dream food trips for a long time, and now they are both within spitting distance. The museums are world class and FREE. We will be in a city with an opera which we really didn't think we would be. Food. Good farmers' markets, grocery stores,  and restaurants. We were really worried about that. We will probably be lacking in Mexican food some, especially compared to Chicago, but DC will make up for it with African food, especially Ethiopian.

I have no idea where we'll live, but it looks like if we limit C's commute, consider local schools, and cost, there are only a few viable neighborhoods/towns to consider.

I guess I'll have to start paying more attention to politics. I've been reading The Washington Post online to start acclimating myself.

This euphoria will wear off a little soon, and both the reality of moving and of leaving Chicago, which we both consider home, will start to hit us. For now though, I've got my head in the clouds.

Wiggle's excited too!

Happy, happy, happy.