The Hunt

Let me be the first to virtually congratulate my husband on getting a job!

He was so confident going in to his three interviews, and I thought, "More power to you...but the job market ain't so hot, honey. Work your magic." And apparently he did, because his first interview was a home run.

This means I can hire a nanny while I make use of my personal Nordstrom stylist and full time eyebrow waxer. Call off the hounds! My job hunt is canceled.

Except that's not true at all. I'm still in hot pursuit of planning or design work, but the pressure has lessened now that Dave is gainfully employed. This was my ideal scenario all along: Dave secures a job, so I can research where we'll live, where I'll work, where Edie will go to day care, and how we'll all get there. Dave's job in north-central Connecticut narrows my scope, which is a good thing. Rather than throwing a dart along half the Eastern seaboard, I can focus efforts in the greater Hartford area.

Like many job hunts, mine is filled with fits and starts. Promising leads often fizzle and die, but I just channel the girl from True Grit, who didn't take no for an answer. Ever. She's my job hunt prototype. Not that I can't take a hint, but I definitely work hard to get my name out there. And when one person closes a door in my face, I go knock on another door.

Today I started packing my personal belongings at work. My colleague stopped by my desk, picked up a proposal cover from my drafting table, and said, "You made this?" Me: "Yep" Him: "We're really gonna miss you". It was a really nice moment.

Again, hats off to Dave. I'm so proud.

I can say that now

Dave and I were planning on leaving Seattle after Fourth of July weekend. Dave wanted a bit of time after his school year ended to pack/get rid of our stuff, say our goodbyes, and so on. We were operating under the assumption that we could leave our apartment whenever, but our landlord and Dave had a little chat over the weekend, and it turns out they'd prefer a clean break at the end of a month, any month. So we picked the end of June. Which mean- amazingly- we have six weeks to go.

Although I'm excited about being closer to my New England family and friends, we'd both be more stoked if either of us had jobs. Just one job would help justify our bold leap from good jobs to no jobs (in 2011 mind you), from our own place to crashing at my parents' house (Thanks Mom and Dad! We like Crest toothpaste. Heh heh).

We're optimistic that one of us will cinch a job, but if memory serves, being unemployed sucks. I think it mostly gets under your skin because you don't know how long you'll have to scrape away at your meager budget. Given a defined time frame, unemployment would be a lot more tolerable. The same phsychological effect happens on people waiting for a bus- when they know how long they'll be waiting, it doesn't seem so bad.

My last day of work will be exactly my 5 year anniversary of my arrival in Seattle. Since then, I met Dave, got married, had a baby, and became an urban planner. Oh, and I also lived in five different apartments, got my identity stolen, kept a couple plants alive, ran a half marathon, and met some awesome friends. Despite my family's tepid support for my 2006 move, and some warnings that it was hard to make friends in the Northwest, I really hit my stride here. I might even say Seattle was the best strategic decision I ever made.

I thought I'd be happier at the prospect of moving home. I am happy, there are just so many unknowns that it's hard to visualize a Connecticut life, and while my parents, their siblings, and a handful of my friends are local, most of my generation has spread to Boston, NYC, Providence, and beyond. Of course, our Connecticut life will shape up over time, just like anything. What does get me excited is the idea of water skiing a lot this summer. And the hot, hot heat of New England in July. We've got a short, lovely summer here but honestly I will not miss the grey skies, 40 degree-Aprils, and months of drizzle. I can say that now, because we're on our way out!

I Love My Mama

When I go to the grocery store, and mentally add the contents of my cart during checkout, and come within .96 cents of my budget, I think of you.

When I sing our daughter to sleep, I think of you.

When I get dressed in the morning and hear a voice that says "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have", I think of you.

When Elton John comes on the radio and I start belting out "And I think it's gonna be a long, long time!", I think of you, and wonder why you don't like Elton.

When I am not sure to whether use the word "whom" or "who", I think of you, then I call you.

When I make a cup of tea to perk up on a Saturday afternoon before hosting a dinner party, I think of you.

When I feel guilty because I'm inside on a gorgeous day, I think of you.

When I randomly pick up litter to do some earth housekeeping, I think of you.

Thanks for being the most wonderful mother, Teri Michaud!

City Mouse or Country Mouse?

Last week I took a red-eye to Boston to meet with some people in the planning and design biz. I had set up four interviews, and a fifth one came to fruition while in town. My biggest fear was that everyone would cancel at the last minute, and I'd be stuck filing my nails. Luckily that didn't happen. My nails did not get filed. Everyone showed up as scheduled, and I got some incredibly valuable information about companies that I might want to (or not) work for.

Upon landing in Boston, Michelle and Camden brought me to sunny Waltham, where I got 1.5 hours of sweet sleep before my first informational interview. I ironed my clothes and sang a few songs to Camden before they drove me back to Boston. After my first meeting at a coffee shop (thank God; I was running on fumes) I had some time to kill, so I took a lovely stroll through Back Bay. The cherry blossoms were blossoming, the sun was beating down, and I gotta say, Boston was feeling mighty fine!

My second interview was with a young man who does what I do for a reputable Boston firm. We met at his well-appointed office in the heart of the city. Turns out that we have a lot in common: both from Connecticut, started our educations at UConn, transitioned to MassArt, do graphic design for planning firms, and have freelance wedding invitation businesses on the side. Michelle suggested we go into businesstogether; maybe she's onto something! Too bad this great firm isn't hiring at the moment. I really liked the feel of the place.

At the end of the day I rode the T to Newton, where my chariot awaited. After Michelle put Camden to bed we ate take-out sushi on their back patio. I kept saying how warm it was, even though I wore my down vest through dinner. For the most part, we're still rocking winter coats in Seattle, so it's all relative.

We met my Dad the next day, halfway between Hartford and Boston. Michelle and I hugged goodbye, and my dad and I drove to Manchester, CT. We proceeded to get lost thanks to TomTom, our deviant GPS. After rebooting, we found our destination in time, where I met with the Director of Design of an engineering and design firm. Their office is located in a refurbished lace and doily factory. I like to think the staff are contributing something more worthwhile to the world.

Armed with the Snack Pack my Mom put together (Babybel cheese, trail mix, and iced tea), my dad called off work for the rest of the day to drive me to New Haven, CT. I knew I was back home when torrential downpours made it nearly impossible to navigate the highway. Before making it to my third meeting at an international architectural firm in town, we picked up Ashley at the MetroNorth train station. Intentions to walk around, rub elbows with the Yalies, and get a feel for the city were washed away by rain. Instead, we ducked into a vegetarian cafe, where we split a huge piece of carrot cake, warmed up with coffee, and I charged my phone by plugging it into a strand of Christmas lights in the shop window. Of course, it was really satisfying to see (pregnant!) Ashley, if only for a few hours. We really don't miss a beat.

That evening, I went home to the smell of a roasted chicken that my Mom baked. She is very good at luring her children home with olfactory bait. I was beat, and after eating and debriefing my Mom and Aunt Kitty, went right to bed.

The next morning, my dad and I drank coffee while he showed me his progress on their basement, which he's been refinishing, slowly, for the past year. We talked a little about design ideas and space. And then I looked at my watch and realized I needed to get on the road, back to Boston.

The drive was great. The sun beat down. I listened to a couple of my parents' CDs on rotation. Then I hit dead traffic outside of Boston, and my heartrate began to rise. I turned down the volume, my eyes darted between the digital clock and the road ahead. TomTom, that bastard, didn't make a peep when I reached a critical intersection off the highway, and I hate to say that I was a few minutes late to my meeting. Shameful. I blame myself, and also TomTom.

But that interview was my favorite. I really enjoyed the women I met, the work they do. I even like the location: within spitting distance of Boston but not in the thick of it. And around the corner from Michelle. True fact: Jay is this firm's FedEx delivery dude!

My trip was fast-pased and productive. I'm so lucky to have people to cart me around, make sure I'm fed and hydrated, and to come out of their way to visit me. I covered a lot of ground, in suburbs and cities. Where do we want to live? The city or the suburbs? I love walking city streets, and the amenities at my fingertips. I do not like gas prices, nor the thought of spending a good chunk of the day commuting with TomTom. But my folks and a big support network are in central CT suburbs.

We'll see where we get work, and take it from there. It's all pretty exciting stuff.