Back in Utah

I feel a little embarrassed making this post so late. I started the day after getting back but have not found the time or desire to finish it until now. We have arrived back in Utah and it has been a nice break since. After a couple long days of packing/driving, we finally have all of our stuff in Logan and out of the cars. It will be nice to be able to relax for a few weeks and finally take a real break. My parents have invited Heather and I to go to California near the end of August and that should be really fun as well. It feels weird to be back in Utah, if only for a little while. The Utah leg of the trip has been more fun than I was expecting. I guess two years away makes you less likely to worry about the small things that used to be annoying. It is nice to go back to the restaurants we love and see people we have really missed. Logan remains much as it always has, moderately boring with surprisingly good food. The other day Heather and I were hanging out at the Conover house and I turned to her and asked "What did we used to do for fun here?" I spent seven years living here but somehow can't remember how we filled the hours. Luckily my huge stack of books that were put off during graduate school finally have a dent. Also, Heather's sister Kayla has developed an interest in Buddhism and so I read the intro book that she bought about it. I found it really interesting and was surprised how many similarities my world view shared with it.

Being back in Logan is always nice because of the great deals on books and DVDs that we find. I found a couple books that I had used previously in my thesis for a really good deal at the USU bookstore. Also, Logan's abundant cheap booze makes the trip completely worthwhile. Having already had Crumb Brothers twice since getting back reminds me how much I will miss that place.

The job search is going well. I have found a lot of really interesting opportunities and see the process more as a hobby than something to be concerned about at this point. Getting back in the habit of applying is good and it will be nice to make some real money for once. There have been lots of interesting jobs for which Heather and I meet the requirements. It will be exciting to see where we end up and it is crazy that we will be in Washington D.C. in less than a month.

Moving back to Washington D.C. will be really fun. Having lived there for four months in my undergrad, I feel like it is a comfortable place to be. I know my way around the city really well and know what would be the best neighborhoods to live in. The only thing I dread is the weather. While it isn't as bad as weather elsewhere, it is a significant downgrade from the Pacific Northwest. Right now we imagine we will be out there for at least five years as we start actual careers and decide how we like them. Knowing that we have so many opportunities makes it much easier to be relaxed about the situation overall.

Having an M.A. still hasn't quite sunk in yet. I see it on my resume, but being in Logan doing the same things doesn't really make me feel like there has been any big change. Maybe it's because no one in Logan wants to talk about epistemologies or the social determinants of health...

Well I probably should go play with "tiny spicy" Chewy (my new nickname for the Conover family dog, in honor of the Beijing Olympics).