Not the Little Apple

I kept thinking I would update this thing and it's taken me a while but here goes.

How am I adjusting to being back? I'm here. I eat a lot more now. I think having a job will help a lot. I'm constantly thinking of my host family and how my little girls are doing. Hawa had a baby in October. There is nothing like being surrounding by children who love you and a family that doesn't judge me on the things my family here does.

I wasn't going to post until I got a job. I guess I have a job. Two actually but I'm not working. I'm a tutor for two different companies but I don't have any students yet. One company I will only have private clients, likely middle school kids wanting to get into private high schools. The other I will be working with the No Child Left Behind kids. It could be interesting.

I have an interview coming up. It's for a job I think I could like. I would be working at a college around here. Just having a job would make me feel a little more adult. It's sort of like I've been on this extended vacation only I don't really have the money to do the fun things. I also recently found out I qualify for a government job but it seems that the paperwork takes a long time to process so I'm not holding my breath for that one. It could also be interesting but I think I'd like the college job better.

Something that's helped me not lose my mind since I've been back--my fiance. It was a total shock to me to be proposed to in Amsterdam on my way back to The States but it's been good. We're planning a nice outdoor wedding in October in my hometown which is not here. It's hard not being there to plan things but it's coming along. I just need a caterer and a DJ. And a few other details. I'm just not a wedding planner but the day will happen.

I go back and forth with the whole consumerism thing. I mean, I have things. I'm pretty happy with things. Sometimes all I can think about is how much I have. Too much. Then not long after those feelings I just want to go shopping but I don't have money. I would buy more of everything. We'd go out to eat more often. We'd actually have cable. I'd buy more clothes even though I don't have a job and wear jeans or my fleece pants everyday and I already have about 50 tshirts of which I only wear maybe 5. I haven't even bought new underwear since I've been back. I used to buy new underwear about every three or four months or so but I have enough so really why do I need more? Having things is great. Having new things is fun. But I just don't need it. Money is kinda tight right now. Will my attitude change once I get a real job? Maybe I'll end up spending it on other things like travel or a house or kids. Who knows.

I had the chance to have dinner the other night with some future family. Two nights in a row really. I realized that I'm totally out of sync with pop culture right now. Nearly all my knowledge of pop culture has come from whatever is on NPR. I don't watch American Idol. I don't really see commercials. My local grocery store doesn't even have the good gossip magazines. I really only know a little bit about some things that most people know nothing about nor do they really care. I know when each of the state primaries is and the outcome of each. I guess I'm managing.

If anyone has a good job for me, let me know. I'll always be in search of the perfect one!