Korea

We're going to do it, we're moving to South Korea. Six months from now military movers will box up all our stuff, put it on a boat, and we'll pick it up in Korea.

Korea.

I sort of can't believe it. We've done nothing but talk about this move since we first learned it was a possibility late last week, but it still hasn't quite sunk in.

Korea.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared, but I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't really excited. I'm the type of person who would never up and move overseas on her own, but if the last five years have taught me anything it's that change is a good thing. Yes, it's frightening, and yes there are things I will desperately miss about the States, but ultimately I really believe that this will be an amazing experience we'll be grateful to have in the long run.

So, Korea.

More as we find out exactly what we need to do in preparation for the move.

Too Many Thoughts in My Head

Juan didn't get the fellowship slot he'd been virtually guaranteed just a month ago by People In The Know. As a result we've spent the last 48 hours scrambling to put together a list of bases we wouldn't hate for the next year or two until he can re-apply. Staying in El Paso is a possibility, but the job he would need to take here would be 90% paperwork to 10% actual medicine. Not only would he likely be miserable if he took it, but he'd be deployable. Neither of us wants that. Most of the other positions at the top of our list (hospitals in the DC area, San Antonio, and Washington State) would be similar.

Then there's Korea.

He would be working in a hospital and practicing actual medicine, he wouldn't get deployed, Luke and I would be able to go with him. To Korea.

I don't know what I want at this point. Well, I take that back, I want our original "guaranteed" plan back. That's not going to happen, though, which leaves us with a number of less-than-ideal options. Korea is at both the top and bottom of that list. On the one hand, it would be an amazing opportunity for all of us to live overseas. On the other, we'd be gone for two years in a country so far away that coming home even once might not be financially possible. Plus I'd almost certainly have to give up teaching until we got back to the States.

So, I don't know what we're going to do. If we decide about Korea (and we need to decide soon--like before Christmas) then we'll have a set plan in place as soon as the decision is made. If not, we won't know where we'll be going until February at the earliest.

The news

Juan didn't get the job. We're sad, disappointed, and sadly in flux regarding future plans. We might stay, we might go, and the decision has to be made in the next three weeks. No pressure, though.

That's all I've got right now. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster for the last few days and I still have papers to grade tonight. More later when there's more to tell.

No news is...no news. Also, news!

No announcement has been made yet about the Chief position. We don't know when the word will come down (tomorrow morning at the earliest, though) or if the decision has even been made yet. It's frustrating, but we'll deal with what comes.

In other news, today was the first day back at school. My students were great, I had a lot of fun, and we get to do it all over again tomorrow. Yay! Oh, and as an added bonus I get to teach a 9 week novel study class to a small group of students who all enjoy reading and discussing books. It's a little reward for them since they passed their state competency exams last year and one for me after I taught test prep during that slot for the last two years.

Finally, I'm officially down 16 lbs since I started Weight Watchers seven weeks ago. I honestly can't believe I've managed to lose that much so quickly. Twelve more to go until the promised land!

Looking Ahead

It's going to be a long week. Tomorrow is my last day of summer before heading back to work for (possibly) my last school year here. Being perfectly honest, I'm nervous about leaving Luke at daycare (because it's new, not because I don't trust our center) but heartbroken that this time next year there's a very good chance I won't be teaching at my current school.

This is the last year of Juan's residency, and he's interviewing for the Chief Resident position Wednesday. If he gets it, we'll stay until June 2010. If he doesn't, we'll leave at the end of this school year. The decision will be announced next Monday, which just so happens to be my first day of classes. If he doesn't get the job have to find a realtor, cancel tentative plans to visit family over Spring Break in favor of a house-hunting trip to wherever it is we'll be heading, and I'll have to begin putting my portfolio in order so I can hit the ground running job-wise next summer. I don't want to do any of those things. I want to play with my baby, go shopping with my friends, and know I have time to start building up a stronger AP program at my school because I'm going to be there to see those plans come to fruition. In short, I want to stay.

So, if you have any spare "good luck" thoughts/prayers floating around, please send them Juan's way this week. There's a lot more riding on the panel's decision about who will become Chief than just his job.

10 Things I Hate About This Week

1) The SIX AND A HALF HOURS J and I spent trying to get new military ID cards today. SIX AND A HALF HOURS. The kicker is that we actually arrived at the office an hour before they opened this morning to try to avoid the usual massive wait. After the third or fourth hour we started openly laughing at the poor people who were over 100 spots behind us in line but refused to leave and come back tomorrow morning. No way, no how they're going to get cards before the office closes tonight.

2) In addition to the SIX AND A HALF HOURS we spent waiting today, we'll need to go back next week because J's school didn't submit the papers for his promotion and switch to Active Duty correctly, so both of our cards still have him listed as Reserve. Thankfully we won't have to wait in line again, but I'm mighty peeved that we have to go back at all.

3) Our next door neighbors at the apartment, who have started smoking on their balcony all the damn time. This wouldn't be a problem except that their balcony is right next to our A/C unit, so our living room smells like smoke. It's icky and I hate it, but it's not like I can ask them not to smoke on their own balcony, you know? At least I only have to tolerate it for 12 more days until we close on the house.

4) Our realtor in Maryland who still hasn't called us back to confirm that the closing for our condo actually happened this morning. It was scheduled for 11:00 am and we're assuming that no news is good news, but would it kill her just to pick up the phone to confirm that we are, officially, no longer property owners there?

5) The practically nonexistant cell phone reception we get in the apartment, which makes getting a call from our realtor a little difficult.

6) The dust storm that kicked up no less than 10 minutes after we washed my car yesterday, completely caking it in mud. Haaaaate dust.

7) Not having a microwave. I never realized just how many things I use it for or how much of a PITA it is to heat up a Lean Cuisine in the oven.

8) Not having my TiVo. I MISS MY TIVO!!!!

9) Our sucky, sucky air mattress that is so deflated by the time we wake up every morning that we're effectively sleeping on the floor. My back is killing me and we won't get our bed delivered until the 21st.

10) Having to buy a new washer and dryer AND refrigerator because the sellers of our house are taking theirs to San Antonio. It feels like we're just hemorraghing money right now, and while we can afford it, I don't like it.