Getting caught up

Just over a week ago I was in a car accident that left me a little rattled and down one side mirror, but otherwise intact. The other driver and I were both turning right from adjacent turn lanes, and she was confused and distracted and veered into my lane, side-swiping my car (fortunately at a relatively low speed). I was angry for about a minute, but the driver and her passengers were clearly more shaken up than I was, and sadly, were here from out of town (which explains the confusion at the complex intersection) to be with an imminently dying close relative (which explains the distraction). Even though I have no fault whatsoever, I still have to supply all the time and energy that goes into filing police reports, calling insurance companies, and getting cars fixed. But, c'est la vie. I'm not sure whether to feel unlucky for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or lucky for the fact that the accident was minor.

I'm less than a week away from starting my new job, and doing my best to get everything I possibly can done before that-- quite a range of things, from writing papers to buying shoes, going to the dentist, and going hiking, and just about everything in between.

In the fray, that whole post I promised about the end of internship and our trip up here has gotten lost. So, I'm just going to upload a bunch of photos, post the links here, and call it good :) These are my photos from throughout my internship year, and here are my pictures for the trip up to Seattle.

Slugging along

Currently my self-motivation is dragging a bit. I am trying to prepare my dissertation for submission for publication, and over the past several days, I have cut approximately 50 pages from the body, but still have many many pages to go before it is acceptably concise. Fifty pages may sound like a lot, but I have been spending way more time slacking than working. Sitting around the house, looking at funny things on the internet, obsessively checking craigslist trying to find myself a desk, and generally feeling like a big slug (appropriate to my new locale). It has been taking hours for my motivation to get high enough to finally leave the house to go to a coffee shop, where I can actually get work done.

Working in coffee shops is relatively new to me-- I used to be too easily distracted by noise and other people. But over the past year working in coffee shops was one of the few ways I could spend time outside of work with my busy internship friends Jeff and Denise, so I gave it a fresh try, and now I'm hooked. Now I'm not sure how I ever used to get work done at home. I've so far been to 4 different coffee/tea shops in my new neighborhood, including the one I'm at right now, and there are two more to try within easy walking distance of my house. Seattle totally trumps San Diego in this respect.

I have officially been in Seattle for a whole week! I swear I'll post some things about the end of internship, and the trip up here, very soon, but right now I'm focusing on being here in Seattle, and getting used to it. As much as I dislike changes and transitions, there are lots of things I like about being here.



Like this view, within walking distance of my house, and the guy who jumped into my picture of it :) Once I am done with this post, I'll get myself back to work for a bit. Then I'll hit the neighborhood farmer's market on the way home, where I can get peaches that are at least as good as the ones in SD, and raspberries and blueberries that are cheaper and better. No grapefruits, but I'll survive :)

Limbo

Five days ago we finished packing up the car and left San Diego. Since then, I've felt like I'm in limbo-- we're taking our time on our trip, visiting friends and family along the way, and at this moment I am in the coffee shop at Powell's, far from SD but not quite arrived in Seattle, and feeling a little bit like I don't know where my home is. Since setting out last Friday, I've had a little bit of deja vu--I'm retracing my steps from my trip down to SD, returning to familiar places, but at the same time feeling just like I did a year ago, unsure and unsettled, setting out on a new adventure.

It's been so nice to visit friends (I'll say more about that in another post, with pictures) and at the same time, I've been going in and out of feeling sad. Partly because I miss my SD friends, and partly because seeing old friends reminds me a bit that I don't see them as often as I'd like. Visiting Eugene was a little sad, because some very important people have left in the year that I was away, and it will be harder to see them than it used to be.

The whole thing is mixed, and is another one of those reminders that in order to have good things in life, you have to be willing to be sad about their absence, and that sadness is a reminder of what you love (ACT, anyone?).

So yeah, I'm feeling a little sappy and sentimental, but I'm sure that will pass :) And when it does, I'll post again with some details from the end of internship, and our fun trip!