The past 11 days.

My return to the United States has been tumultuous to say the least. I returned 11 days ago, but my life is completely different than it was on day one of my return to the red, white and blue country of consumer culture, heated politics, and apathy (don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be home.) I came back to the U.S. and got to see my two nieces (ages 18 months and 7 yrs.), the youngest is walking and saying some words — I missed a lot.

The second day I was back I went to a job interview for a start-up coffee business and looked at apartments with my friend. The same day we signed a sub-lease agreement for a great place, with the lease ending in August. Two hours after signing the agreement I received an offer from Teach for America to teach high school English in the Mississippi Delta — the position would start in three weeks.

Seeing as Teach for America was my goal since my first-year of college, offering an amazing opportunity to teach in lower-income communities in the US and help close the achievement gap, the decision to accept or decline was extremely difficult. I had to weigh the benefits of having a stable career doing something I love, against going to the deep south and leaving everyone I had just arrived home to. I had 48 hours to decide.

I moved into my new apartment still not knowing what I was going to do. Four days after I came back, I officially declined the position with Teach for America, not wanting to move to Mississippi so soon after returning home. The next day I went on a job search in the college town in which I now reside. I also went to a job interview at a local music venue and bar.

Early friday morning I drove the four hours to Chicago to go to two interviews with public policy research and advocacy groups that would begin in the fall. Afterward I stayed with a friend who lives just outside the city who I hadn’t seen in months. The next day I drove the four hours back home and went to a show at a local bar that night. Sunday was spent turning in several job applications, job hunting online, doing pilates and hoping that someone would call and offer me employment.

Monday my mom came to visit, and took me and my apartment mate to Chinese. Since then, my life has been made up of doing online applications, getting internet and cable set up in the apartment, and waiting for someone to call. I find out about the fall jobs in a week — in the mean time I’ve been watching DVDs of my favorite tv show, doing pilates and reading. I seriously need a job.

So, the reason its been so long since I last posted is because I didn’t have internet until yesterday. One of these days, I’ll use my vacant hours to write politically controversial posts for everyone to peruse — until then, I am out!