Transitions

A photo from Africa -- I believe it needs a little Photoshopping magic but that will have to wait!

I apologize of the lack of posts recently. I have been rather unrooted lately, and general busy-ness aside, I find it hard to muster any inspired, coherent thoughts.

On the good news side, my job search has come to a conclusion and I was able to snag a fabulous position at a small, private, liberal arts school. My position involves coordinating exchange programs with Japan, so I really could not imagine anything better for me. I start soon and fortunately do not have much free time to become apprehensive about my return to the working world after 1 1/2 years.

As many of you know, the US economy is not in great shape these days and I was concerned about the prospect of job hunting in these conditions. In the end, it will have been exactly two months from my arrival in the US to my start in a new position. I think that is excellent and am quite proud of myself!

I did encounter enormous amounts of competition for all the positions I applied for. In the end, connections (recommendations from people who know the hiring manager) really made a difference for me. I think utilizing good connections is virtually the only way to get a position these days, and even with them, you do not always get the job (this wasn't the first time I had used my connections -- it was just the first successful time).

Well, I cannot possibly explain in words how excited I am to be able to work on Japan-related activities again. It involves a move to a very small town with very limited dining and cultural options, but I think being part of a diverse and vibrant college campus will make all the difference. As I told Sweetie, we must befriend the international students and invite them over for potlucks to keep our tastebuds amused!