Small Town, Big (City) Dreams #4

IT HAPPENED.

It happened. I found the PERFECT position for me! It satisfies 3 out of my 4 functional areas of interest, incorporates undergraduate teaching, and is in the academic realm of this particular institution. Perfect, right?

I forgot to mention ITS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE-OF-NOWHERE- PENNSYLVANIA!

Gulp.

Now comes the moment of truth. Would I sacrifice my non-negotiable requirement of living in NYC for this dream job? Well, I’ve already began editing my resume, perfecting my cover letter, and scrambling for references. There’s your answer – I cracked. I simply could not turn down a position that was calling my name!

After much reflection this weekend, I realized that sacrificing the perfect (did I mention how amazing this job sounds?) to live in a less favorable environment is rational. I can still have a dream of living in NYC one day, but maybe this is not the year for that to happen. There will be more years, more jobs, and much more opportunity once I gain professional experience outside of Residence Life.  I recalled my “wants” “needs” and “icing on the cake” list that I referred to in my previous post. NYC was on my “wants” list, but so was all of these other dimensions, dimensions that make the job look so desirable. The decision was simple. I would rather have the institution turn me down, rather than me turn the institution down over one little bullet point on my list.

So then I began to think of what my life would be like in the middle-of-nowhere-Pennsylvania. And I thought to myself – maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Because there’s no distraction other than wildlife (and, no, I’m not referring to the students) I could time to hone in some research endeavors I’ve been putting aside while in graduate school and other personal pursuits. Who knows, maybe I would find peace within the mountains and lakes of Northern Pennsylvania. I cannot believe I am saying that!

And for those of you who are thinking “will she change the name of her postings?”. No. No, I won’t. The dream is still there, although the road to get there may take me on bit of a detour.