Moving on

It is a time of life again. After seven years in California, I am ready to move on to the east coast. It was a wonderful half a year. I finished my dissertation, started a new job, will quit this job in one week, then take some time off, go to Austria for some training, and then start a new job. How can I hope for a better experience?

Of course I can. Somehow my first job does not work out as well as I have hoped. I can say it is actually for the good, because it became painless for me to quit this one and start a new one. However, I cannot fight off the doubt: Is it because of me, or because of the people around me? I guess one job is too small a sample to give a definitive answer, so let me try another to find it out.

So I need to move again. I need to get out of my current apartment in 2 days. My roommate gave me his spare key, so that I plan to sneak back in once a while to sleep in the living room for two weeks. In return, I am going to leave him with TV, stereo, and vacuum cleaner, maybe more stuff. Hopefully, no one from my university housing office is reading my blog, as this one is self-incriminating myself for illegal occupancy.

Busy busy busy. The training for my new job has already started. I needed to finish the online modules. They are actually quite consuming, especially those accounting sheets. But I guess it is all worth it in the end. I got another tooth extracted two days ago. Now my teeth are either good or gone, nothing in between. Doing dental flossing daily now, a price I need to pay to prevent future extractions or deep cleaning. I might need to get implants some day, because I have two missing teeth now.

So I am going to Austria next month for job training. It almost feels surreal to me, just like seven years ago when I planned to come to the states. In the process of applying for a visa, I lost my passport in a parking lot for four hours. I was quite freaked out. Fortunately, someone found it and returned to me. Americans, I love you all!

Tomorrow is the graduation day again. Last year I fake walked, and this year I could not be more different, as if the life was swirling away from its predestined path, heading towards unknown territory with a sense of awe and fear. A lot of my friends are graduating this year. This will be the last time I can see so many of my dear friends, walking onto stage to celebrate their life milestones. I do not know when I will see them again in the future. Take lots of pictures, handshakes and hugs. Everyone of us have different plan: my best friend is heading to Ohio, as his wife will start her Ph.D. OSU. Among my cohort, one heads to Portland, one heads to Missouri, both of whom have a great academic job waiting for them. I am also heading in my direction. Bye.