Lounging Around

Up front I should acknowledge that I am writing to you today from the lovely lounge chair in the backyard of our beach house. I'm sitting out here taking in the last hour of sunlight and while I'm supposed to be working, I've decided to take a moment to say hello to my four readers. :) Hello!

Despite being utterly unsuccessful in my job search, my trip to Canada was quite nice. I got to hang out with some friends that I haven't seen in a while, hear some pretty good talks (ignoring all the dreadful ones) and eat some pretty tasty food. We played hooky one day and headed up into the Canadian version of Rocky Mountain National Park. My absolute favorite place on the drive was Lake Louise:



It's hard to see in this picture how perfectly aquamarine the water was, but trust me when I tell you that it was beautiful. I think I audibly squeaked when I saw it, that's how startling it was. Not only was the color amazing, but the water was so clear! Here, take a look--



The whole place was a sight to behold. I'd be pretty happy taking another vacation up there where I could spend several days in the area hiking and taking in the beautiful scenery.

The beach has been lovely. I wish that I had finished my thesis and could really relax fully here, but I took a few days off at least and didn't work at all. Plus, a change of venue is always a good thing. :) Tropical Storm Alberto came through today, which I think was a new adventure for most of us. It rained on and off, but most of what we got was wind. A lot of wind. The surf was whipped up into a frenzy like I have rarely seen it in person before! And the sand was blowing around like it was the Sahara. I think my legs have been completely exfoliated from the knees down more than once today. Having grown up relatively near the beach, I am pretty fearless when it comes to going in the ocean, but I do have a healthy respect for storms. And that respect was about the only thing that kept me from grabbing my raft and heading into the ocean today. :) Wow, did I want to play in the huge waves! I took some pictures that I'll post next time to show you what it looked like. But the storm has passed and the weather appears to be looking up for our last three days here. So with any luck, I'll still be able to pack in some quality beach time and come home looking not quite so pasty white and stressed out.

*sigh*

Yes, I do get that it's just Canada. [Insert appropriate apologies to all Canadians here for making Canada sound like America Lite.] Somehow the other people on the trip (and, frankly, The US Department of State) have me all concerned for my general well-being and state of preparedness. I'm working on not getting so worked up over it.

I did hunt down my passport, though. The last thing I want is to be forbidden from re-entering the US and end up missing any portion of my vacation.

Oh Canada!

After one long day (11.5 hours) and one morning (5 hours) of driving, I finally arrived back home on Wednesday. It definitely feels good to be home. I really missed my apartment and being around people I know! Academically and professionally, my move across half the country was the right thing. Personally, it was more akin to torture. But I survived and returned home mostly undamaged. And that's what's important.

I found out when I returned home this week that my apartment complex has decided to raise their rents a non-trivial amount. So, I can no longer afford to live here after July. Which leaves me about a month to find a new apartment. It wouldn't be so bad to move (I've gotten good at it this year!), except that I have no job after November/December. And if I find a job, there's no guarantee that it will be anywhere near my current location. Hence, I cannot sign a 12-month lease unless I win the lottery and find myself swimming in extra money. So I'm trying to find an affordable 5-month lease on an apartment. *sigh* These kinds of abodes are not plentiful, let me tell you that.

This weekend I embark on the first of three trips I have this month. Two are work-related, one is vacation. The vacation I'm looking forward to, the others not so much. I'm headed to Canada for a few days starting Sunday, and I'm actually starting to get a little bit distressed about the whole "leaving the country" thing. I actually read the State Department Travel Page today to learn what I should do. This left me with a whole new list of things to worry about. For example, I have no idea if my medical insurance will cover me "abroad"! Nor have I registered with the American Consulate in Canada yet! I don't know what the local laws are regarding anything and it's possible that I may not be able to find proof of ownership for my laptop before I leave. (The last thing I want to do is have to pay some kind of duty on my computer in order to bring it back into the US or something). I feel completely unprepared for this kind of exotic travel. That, and the whole money exchange thing always gives me a headache. So wish me luck in my Canadian job-seeking endeavors next week.