When it Rains...

Well, the blessings have been pouring lately. Life feels a little strange now, after months of spinning our job-searching wheels--of being suspended in some vague void where money rarely comes in but slowly, steadily seeps out, and we stand solemnly by and wave goodbye. It's strange to kiss Patrick goodbye in the morning and hug him hello in the afternoons after a full day of work. It's strange to write checks and swipe the debit card without debilitating pangs of guilt.

It's strange, but I could get used to it. :-)

So here's the update--the temporary work that Patrick had a few weeks ago has turned into a pretty secure job! It's not stellar pay, but c'mon. We're recent college graduates, we don't expect a fortune to be handed to us, and we are acknowledging this as the step it is in the right direction. It also has absolutely nothing to do with Patrick's degree, but again (as my dad has noted), to get something in your field right out of college is a luxury few enjoy.

His job is good experience, and he will continue to research graduate schools and other future careers. We still have our medium-term (not really long or short) plan in place. Patrick, while working, takes the GRE, applies to and is accepted to an MPA program, and continues to pursue his professional future.

Funny how every picture of Patrick involves Cambrie in some way.

I'm not left out of this plan. In fact, this is really why I feel we've been kind of bombarded with blessings. A week and a half after Patrick first got this job, I received two different inquiries from students in need of tutoring. That was on a Thursday. I tutored almost four hours on Friday and Saturday, and have continued to do more this week.

That same Thursday, at a Relief Society meeting, a friend in the ward came up to me and asked if I would teach her daughters piano. Three days ago I taught my first two piano lessons, and the whole process (preparation, lesson time, post-lesson plans for working with the girls) was a lot of fun. I think this is the beginning of something I'm going to love doing for a long time.

Who'm I kidding; all my pictures of everything involve Cambrie in some way!

So here we are, our spinning wheels starting to gain traction, our vague void materializing into direction and purpose. It's exhilarating to be busy again, with things to plan for, and accomplish, and create. Though through objective eyes it seems small, it feels like what life should be; it feels like success.

One chapter in our lives (the post-graduation joblessness) has closed, and a new one is opening. The strange thing is, there isn't anything particularly amazing or extraordinary about it--we're finally entering the proverbial "real world," where life carries on, sometimes exciting, sometimes boring, usually plain old normal, but always moving forward.

And that's good enough--wonderful, in fact--for us.