Looking back over my past blog posts, I noticed that I talk a lot about location. I've discussed how an academic life can take you far and wide. I've weighed the pros and cons of city living vs. country living. I've spouted the happiness of what location means for my kids (10 days at Grandma's house!) I seem to go on and on and on about it.
So the question is why? Why does location plague me?
I was wandering around the internet the other day when I happened upon a website about vegetarian cooking. The authors of the blog were a couple out of Dublin, Ireland who own a photography business. Curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on a link to their photography site to see what kind of photos they shoot. To me, what I saw was nothing short of breathtaking. There was photo after photo of couples in the Irish countryside and I immediately lamented that Clay didn't apply for a job at the University of Cork.
And what I realized, as I sat there looking through those photos, was that I haven't lived anywhere that I want to call home. Since we've been married, Clay and I have lived in four different cities (Holland, MI - Knoxville, TN - Ann Arbor, MI - Kingston, ON). All have been great. All have had good memories and I love certain aspects of each city. But none of them have been my city.
Maybe it's because we're not at a point where we can really settle down. Or maybe it's just the restless part of me that constantly longs for something else...a new adventure...a new experience. I wonder sometimes if I'll be content when we get our first job. Not many people are lucky enough to be choosy when it comes to taking an academic position. Most of the time, you take what you can get. Will we get lucky enough to get a job in a city that feels like home?
Then again, if my happy little family is there, how can it not feel like home?
So the question is why? Why does location plague me?
I was wandering around the internet the other day when I happened upon a website about vegetarian cooking. The authors of the blog were a couple out of Dublin, Ireland who own a photography business. Curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on a link to their photography site to see what kind of photos they shoot. To me, what I saw was nothing short of breathtaking. There was photo after photo of couples in the Irish countryside and I immediately lamented that Clay didn't apply for a job at the University of Cork.
And what I realized, as I sat there looking through those photos, was that I haven't lived anywhere that I want to call home. Since we've been married, Clay and I have lived in four different cities (Holland, MI - Knoxville, TN - Ann Arbor, MI - Kingston, ON). All have been great. All have had good memories and I love certain aspects of each city. But none of them have been my city.
Maybe it's because we're not at a point where we can really settle down. Or maybe it's just the restless part of me that constantly longs for something else...a new adventure...a new experience. I wonder sometimes if I'll be content when we get our first job. Not many people are lucky enough to be choosy when it comes to taking an academic position. Most of the time, you take what you can get. Will we get lucky enough to get a job in a city that feels like home?
Then again, if my happy little family is there, how can it not feel like home?
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