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Kinda weird to ruminate on this stuff now, but this is interesting to think about: about one year ago, I got a unexpected email: an offer to teach at Purdue! Thread!
It was unexpected mostly due to me not understanding how college hiring works. I had interviewed awhile ago, and just forgot about it; in my experience, if you do well at the "on-site," you get an offer quick, otherwise nope. So yeah, I thought it was a nope and moved on.
From a career perspective, I was simply exploring. I loved my job, particularly my coworkers (some of the best I& #39;ve had and I& #39;ve had good ones!). But I& #39;ve learned that for growth, stepping out of the comfort zone, even when you ARE comfortable, is essential.
Anyway, I took a few days which I almost never do to decide on a gig. It was pretty terrifying honestly but for a zillion reasons it felt like the right thing to do, and still does now, happily! But...
...When a college hires you... its for the fall. And not only did I like my job, I also, you know, didn& #39;t want to suddenly find myself without it by turning in an early resignation (plus technically you aren& #39;t REALLY hired until a bunch of background stuff happens, takes time)
This of course is awkward as you do your best at your current gig while knowing another one is coming far in advance. But again: Offers get rescinded. Stuff happens. It& #39;s just how it goes. But holding in a secret that big is draining.
What it did do, however, is give me plenty of time to say a long extended goodbye to San Jose and the SF Bay Area, which I truly, truly enjoyed. I made it a point to try restaurants I hadn& #39;t eaten at and see things I hadn& #39;t seen yet.
That was a nice privilege: typically when I& #39;ve gotten other jobs, it is a MAD RUSH to get to it. When I started I Human Head, it was "accept offer move across many states start working" in a matter of a couple weeks. No time to smell the roses at all!
Some events were sad- like I remember playing "Sweet Home Chicago" with my friend Konrad knowing that such jams would end. And not being able to say that! I sent a picture of us home to my wife and was near tears that day.
