Sunday, July 30, 2006

Time grows short

I can't believe I'm less than a month away from finishing my thesis. Let me tell you: writing a massive paper when you live somewhere that can't get your thyroid meds straight? I wouldn't recommend it.

Not much to report, as I have been holed up in my cave for the last week working. At some point, I went to a pub. Yesterday, a sparrowhawk (first one I've seen, ever) tried to snag one of my garden's resident blackbirds -- he flew about a foot past my open door, which was quite cool. That's really the extent of my incredibly interesting life.

So yeah. First draft of thesis, almost complete. Thyroid issues, legion. Environmentally-related employment outlook, well, I'd rather not discuss that right now because I've only just managed to stop fretting about it. Ooh, but we are going on our honeymoon, finally (!), and I've even decided not to job-hunt intensively until after we return, just in case I land that ideal job and then have to take two weeks off the day after I start. I was really hoping we'd go to Albania, but the country doesn't quite have its international travel together, and so we couldn't quite make it work in a two-week window when we were also going to Croatia. (Buses in Albania run when they feel like it or when they aren't broken, and we aren't willing to drive in a country where drunk driving's relatively acceptable and most car owners have only had licenses for the last decade).

So, it will be off to Albania in the spring, either as the next "big" trip or as my last hurrah before admitting defeat and going home to find work. Here's hoping for the former, particularly since the Other Half would stay here to finish his PhD (I still have no suitable online moniker for him, sorry...). The honeymoon, then, will consist of two weeks in Croatia and Bosnia, ideally with stopoffs at Plitvice Lakes (awesome hiking, potential wolves), Mostar (charismatic Bosnian city still recovering from war), and Lopud (tranquil tiny island within hopping distance of Dubrovnik). The rest of the agenda is pretty open -- maybe a day on the Montenegran coast, since we'll be in Dubrovnik for a bit anyway, maybe a visit to Risjnak or one of Croatia's other parks, definitely a day trip from Mostar to one of Bosnia's villages.

But before then, there's a thesis to write, and a move that requires packing, and a potentially terrifying job hunt. Oh wait, I'm not supposed to think about that last one yet. Augh. Regular posting will resume at the end of the summer, but I promise to maintain at least the once-per-week thing until we depart for the Balkans.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you're doing great, even if you're losing sleep trying to keep up with everything! :) And your honeymoon idea sounds just fantastic. I hope you take tons of pictures and post at least some of them online for those of us who haven't had the chance to see such cool places!

My summer in NY is almost over, and I am looking forward to going home. I don't think that this city will ever feel like a real "home" to me. In sad news, the "boy" and I have realized that there is no way we'll be able to get our new turtle home without seriously endangering his life, so we will, once again, be turtle-free when we leave NY. This is a very sad thing, since he is cute, but I know that Victor, at least, will be happy that he won't have to share my affections with a cold-blooded creature...

I promise to write you an email very soon (and I promise to follow through on that promise this time, too...), but I just wanted to say hi and let you know I'm thinking very positive thoughts in your general direction!

Anonymous said...

"...Victor, at least, will be happy that he won't have to share my affections with a cold-blooded creature..."

[insert requisite lawyer joke here]

Anonymous said...

Touche, touche...well done, sir :)

Anonymous said...

I am SO jealous. I want so badly to go to Croatia. Send me a postcard, 'kay?