Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The Waiting Game

It's been two months since I blogged about the beginning stage of my husband's academic job search. It's time to blog about phase 2, which is a total killer for some as impatient as yours truly!
The hubs submitted 40+ applications via online and snail mail this fall.  OVER FORTY.  Excellent opportunities in his field came up every week, and he couldn't pass them up! He totally hit this thing hard - and with me cheering him on, we decided together that we might as well go big or go home! Energy through the roof, I'm telling you!
...

And now, we're waiting.
he's received some feedback from schools already, such as requests for more information/documentation. Which is Great! But still...

It's hard.  We wait. We wonder.  We never worry, but we wonder... where will we live this time next year?
Everyone else is wondering, too. Our families and our friends.  My co-workers. His colleagues.  We're all just one big ball of waiting excitement.  It's gotten to the point where this is affecting Christmas a great deal, because I keep wondering - will we know by then? Or will we still be waiting?  Chances are, we'll still be waiting and wondering.

This experience isn't something that anyone can fully understand unless they've lived it.  I would have to say that this is comparable to the NFL draft - I'll be waiting in the wings, willing to move wherever my husband goes, whatever "team" chooses him in the end.  Will he be a first rounder, picked in early December? Will he be a steal for some lucky school in early January? Or will he be picked late in February, after a long, pain-staking wait that will all be worth it in the end because he gets to pursue his dreams?
I don't whine or whimper to anyone.  We're alone. Me, and him.  We have our families' support, and believe me, it's amazing - but do they feel what we feel?  We are ecstatic about all of the job opportunities.  Every school, every town, every city - we're in love with all of them.  We avoid sharing the full extent of our enthusiasm with our families, because how in the world can we explain to them that we would really love to live in the cornfields? Would we be able to convince anyone, seeing as how we've lived in the Appalachian mountains our entire lives? Yeah, probably not.
My biggest fear, the one that "scares me right out of my pants"? Breaking hearts. Trying to explain to my mom why we would rather be Oklahoma Sooners than West Virginia Mountaineers. Or move to Tallahassee Florida for a temporary post-doc rather than settle down in Bowling Green, Kentucky. All of this depends on actual offers and time - both out of our control. But still, I fear a difficult decision. I accept it, though - it's all a part of the game. 
Have we had discussions about the possibility of making a hard decision? Well - yes and no.  Yes, because we've both agreed that this is probably going to end up being very difficult in the end. No, because it's impossible to plan which school he would choose seeing as how we're not far enough along in this game to know what the offers are going to be.


And so, we wait!
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10 comments:

A Compassionate Calling said...

I so know how you feel. I just applied to graduate school and I still waiting for the application service to mail my apps. Its been 2 weeks now and my first apps are due Dec 1. All this not knowing is driving me crazy! I am excited though. Good luck! Sounds like you have the right attitude.

Rebekah said...

I've never been in that situation, but I understand the waiting. When we were supposed to find out where we were going to move for the Air Force and had heard nothing. I remember my sister bugging me about it, and as soon as our conversation ended, my husband called and said we're moving to Cali. Crazy. I'll be praying for you guys!

love jenny xoxo said...

waiting is the worst, cause there is nothing you can do but wait... and wait...

hang in there!

XOXO

Ashley said...

I can't imagine how hard it must be to wait! I sure hope y'all hear something soon!

Also, did I see something here about Oklahoma being a possibility? Because that would make me SO happy! We must talk about this!

Aimee said...

Oh my gosh I cant even imagine how difficult this must be. Love that you compared it to the NFL draft though. That is perfect! But seriously. I hope you guys find out soon or at least get a better idea soon.

I am sure that whatever decision you both make it will be good one and more importantly the right one. Life is quirky like that.

See the only waiting game I play is waiting to hear back from jobs and I have been pretty lucky about those thus far. I am in the middle of a waiting game right now. BUT its only waiting on te "official HR packet" because the guy basically told me I got the job over the phone. So now I am waitingf for the packet until I tell my current job. See I told you, I havent had to do much waiting.

Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...

Hang in there Steph! You'll know soon and then you can plan, plan and plan!!!

Is that your cat clock? Love it!

Faith said...

waiting is the worst! the absolute worst! but one day, you won't be waiting ... very soon. as long as you know that waiting becomes just a little more tolerable! :)

Ms. Emmy N said...

I completely understand how you feel, my life is determined by my guys career, and it's super tough not knowing where you will live... but it's also kind of exciting, getting to pick up and start a new life, meet knew people. And, as long as you have each other, it will be wonderful, no matter where you end up :) Home is where the heart is! Good luck!

Heather said...

Waiting is always the worst part, but I can't to hear which place ya'll are going!

Carrie Cooper said...

Carrie @ comfortedbyGod.blogspot.com

Hi, Stephanie!
Ive recently started a new thing on my blog--showcasing the blogs of my followers. So, this past Friday I posted your blog info on my site. I just wanted to thank you for following my blog and partnering with me :) Have a great week!