John's known since last year that he didn't get tenure, and has diligently applied for everything and anything that he could possibly be eligible for. He'd just decided to look into industry jobs instead of academia. This was a big decision, since you usually don't go back once you drop out of the tenure track. He applied for a job at SLAC in March. They thought they'd know by May. We heard nothing, so we assumed they never got around to actually hiring anyone for the job and gave up on it as a possibility. Industry seemed interested in John; he had an interview scheduled for a place near Boston. Out of the blue, the fellow at SLAC called John on Friday and said they'd like to offer him the job and when could he be there? Boom. Just like that.

I'm happy at the molecular level. This is the only possible resolution to the job hunt that would make me this happy. I'd have done my best to be positive about anyplace we moved, of course, since nothing could be as bad as Nashville's been for me. But hey, going home is just bliss. Goodbye, hideous summers and no public transportation and no ethnic food. Hello, newspapers with actual news in them, and good coffee everywhere, and wearing black all year long. I don't care about the drawbacks of living in an expensive, crowded area right now. I'll remember them later (I've never really forgotten) but for now I can only think of the wonderful things I've missed so much while in exile.

Of course, first we have to find a place to live. And I do deeply regret giving up this wonderful job I've found. It means so much to me that I finally found locals I relate to, and a job where my personality is an asset, and a work situation that combines professionalism with relaxed friendliness. Boy, I hate leaving Betsie and the others. But now that I know I can find such a place, I'll never settle for anything less, at least not for long. I'm sticking with travel; it's a business I enjoy. The Bay Area has heaps of agencies, distributors, wholesalers, and specialists, so I doubt finding a job will be difficult. Thank god.