So, I went and participated in my graduation ceremony this past weekend. The good (great) parts were the chance to see favorite faculty one more time before who-knows-when, and being told by not one, but two of them, that my dissertation was not, in fact, a pity pass. I was worried about that - not so much because I think my committee is generally inclined to pity-pass people, as a rule, but because so much time had passed and I just couldn't quite believe that it was good enough to both pass and not have revisions requested. Maybe they were just being nice, but given that neither of them had to say anything about it - the defense being history at this point - I'm cautiously inclined to take them at their word. It was especially gratifying to be told by one that he was amazed that I pulled it all together and managed to finish as well as I did, given that I'd been away for so long with so many other things on my plate. It felt good to be validated in that way.
I was really down for a couple of days after graduation. Part of it had to do with hearing that an acquaintance just got a job, and part of it had to do with the strong feeling that I shouldn't apply for that one job after all. In the end, I talked about it with Husband, and, while disappointed (since the job is in a place he'd especially like to live), he was very supportive and it really just kind of felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
I've decided that, for the time being, I'm going to try and turn some old papers of mine into journal articles and put together a job dossier for the fall job market. It's probably a long shot at this point, but I figure I owe it to myself to give it at least a try. The main obstacle will be that I have to shoot for tenure-track, since we just can't uproot the family for a year here or there. We own a house in a depressed/declining market (although ours is generally holding pretty well, and since we bought a foreclosure during the first dip we should at least be able to make back what we paid if we had to sell), Husband has a good job, and it would be a lot to throw away for what might or might not turn out to be a good move in the long-term. So, tenure-track listings it is. At least I'll be able to say I tried if it doesn't work out.
For now, writing, dossier-preparing, and - tomorrow - yard work.
