I was offered the job in Rapid City, South Dakota!

[liberalhistorian]

I finally got home Monday night after a grueling bus trip; the Rapid City to Minneapolis bus broke down in Sioux Falls, SD, necessitating an extra night and longer re-routes. God, I thought I'd NEVER get home, never was I happier to see the Cleveland skyline at the end of the Chicago to Cleveland ride!!!

I had a wonderful week in the Rapid City/Black Hills area, though, despite the freak snowstorm that dropped over nine inches in some areas. They've had nice, sunny weather with hardly any snow all winter and the week I get there, in fucking mid-MAY, no less, they have a goddamned full-blown snowstorm! At forty years old, I can honestly say that I've seen something I've never seen before, snow in May. And not just snow, but a full snowstorm and in MID-MAY! Oh, well, I'd always wanted to see what the Hills looked like with snow, since I'd only been there during summers. And it was really strange, but kind of fun and interesting, to be there this early and without my family, just by myself.

So, I get back Monday night from the Cleveland bus station to find a voice mail from the place I'd interviewed at asking me to call. That was fast, I thought, since the interview was only on Wednesday. Then I log on to check a week's worth of email, and lo and behold, there's an email from the executive director, one of the interviewers, asking me to confirm my interest in the position and, if so, they'd be offering the job to me!!!! WOW! I was absolutely stunned! I really did not expect to get the job, I'd thought they'd go for a local or native American candidate since it involves work on Sioux reservations in that area, something I've always wanted to do.

I've always wanted a job out there, but there's a difference between abstract longing and desires and actually experiencing them. It's 1,500 miles from home with the only people I know there being the family friends I've known all my life (they retired to the small town right next to the resort we always stay at in Custer State Park). I will have to leave Chris with my parents for this coming school year, as well, until I get settled, and that will really be beyond rough. But at the same time, I'm so excited and I can't believe this is actually happening. I may be forty, but I've never been away from home and on my own like that; it's terrifying but exciting also.

So, HELLOOOOOOO to my soon-to-be fellow South Dakotans, especially those in the Rapid City area! It's been 32 years since I lived in South Dakota (we lived in Aberdeen for five years since my stepdad taught at Northern State University until the end of the draft forced his layoff in 1973); even thought I was born in Ohio and have lived in Ohio all my life except for those five years in Aberdeen, I've always considered myself a South Dakotan at heart. And now I'm coming home again!

[Shoeempress]

1. Congratulations and best of luck.

[liberalhistorian]

2. Thanks!

I've got so much to do in the next couple of weeks, though, a hundred million things to do.

[liberalhistorian]

3. Kick!

For the night crowd! :kick:

[sbj405]

4. Congrats on the new job!

:toast:

[liberalhistorian]

5. Thanks!

Once I come back down to Earth, I think it'll hit me how hard it'll be to move 1,500 miles away from home and friends and family. But I'm sure it'll be worth it.