Chasing the Light

Today, I accepted a job offer on the East Coast, which means that the San Diego chapter of my life is officially coming to a close.

Kevin and I will be getting married November 16 and then driving across the country the final week of November so that I can start my new job on December 2.

There are still a lot of unknowns such as where exactly we'll live, how much stuff we'll be moving, when we'll be arriving at our new home, where Kev is going to find a job, and what we're doing for the holidays including Thanksgiving, but we are optimistic and ready for the changes that life will bring.

Because many of you have asked, I will be working as an Admissions Counselor for a company called 2U that partners with universities to develop online graduate school programs. I will be recruiting students for the online Masters in Public Health from George Washington University.

In the meantime, it's wedding crunch time!

The other night, Kev had a mini freak-out about all the things we'd have to get rid of in order to pack light: "Our toaster oven! Our rice cooker! Our TV!...," and the list went on. In a moment of clarity (because I too am stressing out about all the things that need to be done before the wedding and our big move), I told him, "We'll cook rice in a pot like I did in Moz. We'll sit on the floor if we don't have chairs. We'll live without toasted bread." And it's true; if there is one thing I've learned over the past few years, it's that I don't need stuff to be happy.

I was happy in Mozambique, a country I'd never even imagined I'd find myself in, on a continent I previously had no desire of even visiting. I was happy living alone in a house made of reed and cement, with faulty electricity and without running water.

How much happier could I be living in the U.S., starting a job with a good salary and benefits, being closer to my little sister and many of my Peace Corps friends, with the love of my life by my side?

"I see this life / Like a swinging vine / Swing my heart across the line / In my face is flashing signs / Seek it out and ye shall find / Old, but I'm not that old / Young, but I'm not that bold / And I don't think the world is sold / I'm just doing what we're told

Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep /Dreaming about the things that we could be / Lately I've been, I've been praying hard / Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars..."

 - Onerepublic, "Counting Stars"