Turning the Page

It's a big week for our family. I'm pretty sure most people who read this blog are friends and family and already privy to our upcoming transitions, but perhaps some details are in order.
I have accepted a job as a tenure-track assistant professor of English at liberal arts college in Wisconsin. The story of how this job came about is pretty amazing. I don't really want to go into it all here, but I will say this: I felt immediately at home at the school. They are also excited about me and the work that I do. We really feel like we are being led to our new home, and when we have our moments of apprehension, we reflect back on the unusual circumstances that led us to this transition and know we are making a move that is in the best interest of our family.

Our new home will be in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. We will close on a house this week and move into it on the day our baby is full-term. We will be delivering in Wisconsin and have found an OB we really like. Yes, the baby is due about the time I start my new job. The school and I are working together to make this difficult transition work. Ben will be a stay-at-home Dad for a time while he considers what his next step is on his career path.

Oh, and I graduated. Did I mention that? I finished my dissertation in a crazy flurry of activity this spring (God Bless the second trimester energy burst). So I am now Dr. Ann, and as of last week all the paperwork is in and that title is official.

This is why my entries here have been sparse - lots of details to figure out and more transitions at one time than we will (hopefully) ever encounter again. In all the flurry of activity, it's been easy detach ourselves from what this all means - leaving some of the dearest friends we have and doubling the distance between us and our families. Given the academic job market, we know we are lucky to be as close as we will be to our friends and family, but the separation will be an adjustment regardless - especially at a time when this little one readies his/herself to make the grand entry into our lives.

I keep waiting for words to come to help me articulate this whole experience, but they have failed to materialize. I look back on the past year, and it is truly amazing what we have dealt with and how far we've come. This next year, I know, won't be easy either. Yet it will be different - more about settling in to our new lives than dealing with constant uncertainty. We will continue to have faith, and really, that and rolling with the punches and remembering to laugh is all we can do.

People have asked if I will keep our blog "Rockin' the N.L." since it is geographically specific. That was a question I wrestled with, but I do think I will keep it as is. I suppose it is a reminder of where we came from. I can't promise a lot of thoughtful entries in the next year, but I do promise to try to post photos of Baby once or twice a week (probably on Wednesday/Thursday or Saturday/Sunday) for our family and friends. I'll also post other things when I can.

If you know us personally and would like our new contact information, email or call us and we will get it to you as soon as possible.

So, away we go, I guess. Our next chapter begins...