Time after Time

It's been almost a year since I last posted here... I didn't mean to disappear for that long, but seeing as how I don't get that many page views, I'm pretty sure not too many folks were disappointed.

In the spirit of family Christmas letters, here's a short synopsis of my life from July 20, 2012 through June 1, 2013.

July-August, 2012:

I returned to Idaho after about 18 months overseas conducting field research (with a brief interlude in Dec, 2011). It was sad to leave the places I love in Southeast Asia, but Idaho always dulls the pain.

Upon my return I helped with the grain harvest for a few days. They even let me drive a tractor...

I don't suggest letting anyone studying for a PhD drive a tractor. I once upon a time was a good farmer's son. Or maybe not. There is a reason I went to graduate school; I'm a terrible farmer.

Then I bought a car and drove to Atlanta.

Showing my customer loyalty, I bought another Corrolla. This one was red, though! It was also an "S" edition, which I take to stand for "sexy."

September-November, 2012:

Back in the graduate school saddle, I furiously typed out my dissertation. I was also applying for jobs. That's a painful experience. I applied for somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 positions all across the spectrum. That's a lot of rejection. Fortunately not all was in vain (more about that below).

I took advantage of what Atlanta had to offer.

I enjoyed the fall as colors changed.

The occasional Braves game brightened my days.

Southern food (albeit fast-food-ized) comforted my soul.

My friends also kept me sane, despite my general aversion to social gatherings. For Thanksgiving we gathered to mourn the turkey's demise. We even reserved a space in its honor. I made the stuffing. It was amazing! (as if anyone would have ever doubted that)

December, 2012

Then the holidays came. My dissertation was completely drafted by this time and sitting on my committee's desk. Dreams of revisions danced in my head.

They were joined by my continual infatuation with Star Trek.

And bears. In wreaths.

It's pretty much the most festive way to have bears.

January-April, 2013:

The long slog of winter dragged on. Revisions occupied my heart and mind. I was also a teaching assistant for an Intro to American Politics class... I was probably a poor choice for that one.

I climbed Stone Mountain, again.

I learned how to make pasta salad. A skill I employed repeatedly. Truthfully it was very simple, but everyone was so impressed that I actually made something that I just kept making it.

I raised some Easter Lilies (Thanks Kristen!). They died soon after this picture. But they did bloom. That's an accomplishment for me.

Spring brought back green to Atlanta. With that green came pollen. Lots and lots of pollen. Every year I seem to forget how bad it gets. The streets are coated with a thin sheet of yellow. It's a mess, but the flowers are beautiful at that time. Worth it.

 I also was able to visit Chicago for a conference. While Chicago is a nice enough city to visit, it is dreadfully chilly in April.

While there I made a visit to my alma mater to visit a friend who received a Fulbright award to serve as the Indonesian Language Teaching Assistant there. It was great to see her!

Perhaps the best part of the spring, though, was landing a job. After multiple dead-ends, I was fortunate enough to interview at a university in Singapore. Shortly after my interview, I was lucky enough to be offered the position. I had a few options to think about, but I quickly decided to take the position starting in July! This is a picture of the building where my office will soon be located. Beautiful area in downtown Singapore.

May, 2013:

With the end in sight, I had to make the most I could of my final days in Atlanta.

My good friends Jessica and Svet were kind enough to invite me to final Braves game. We had wonderful seats. Thanks you two! We also enjoyed a few good RISK games before I had to leave - don't let Jessica fool you. She loves the game.

Other friends treated me to wonderful Arrested Development marathons, multiple meals in ethnic restaurants, dinners, boating on Lake Allatoona, Star Wars parties, and hanging out. I got to hold Yoda's hand, which was one of the highlights of my life.

 On a few occasions I delivered pizza to our events. It's funny how a hoodie and hat can make one look like a Domino's employee, not that I have anything against Domino's employees. They provide valuable service for a good price. I also love their new crust. (Thanks for the hat, Eliasdaughter!)

I also visited the Oval Office! Not the real one, though. Just the one Jimmy Carter had built in Atlanta to commemorate his four years in the real one. He probably misses it.

Finally time for goodbye came. Thanks for the party, dear friends, especially Julia who came up with the Asia/Dinosaur theme, which was so close to my heart. My timing was terrible (or perfect, depending on who you ask), as I said goodbye over Memorial Day weekend when many folks were out of town. Fortunately I got to say farewell to most friends in the preceding weeks.

Oh, and I graduated. Almost forgot about that.

My family came for the event, so we visited Savannah. Here's the Sister!

And ate at this awesome crab shack.

And saw a lighthouse.

And went to the Coke Museum where I held an Olympic Torch. Yes, I'm a champion! Everyone also enjoyed tasting all the Coke products from around the world. My sister loved the Beverly from Italy. Not really. It was super gross. And that's the technical term. Gross.

So I drove back to Idaho. And that brings us up to now.

Stay tuned for future updates. Same bat time, same bat channel.