A new start

Despite loving teaching this term, I've decided not to apply for tenure-track positions for next year. I'm just not ready to start my own lab. Given that Bill and I don't always communicate enough/well and that my thesis STILL isn't done, I've decided that focusing all of my energy on teaching and finishing the PhD is the best course of action. I now, once again, have no idea what I'm going to be doing next year. Although, I am 90% sure that I'm going to look for a post-doctoral position. I think that will put me in the best position to do whatever I decide I want to do. I'm a little sick and tired of constantly being in transition, but I know that this is the best option for me.

I didn't talk to anyone about this before sending my "rescinding application" e-mail to my department chair. I guess that is a slight exaggeration... I told my dad what I had decided, but I didn't ask anyone for advice. I decided all of this while sitting at the laundromat today. Watching my plaid pajama bottoms orbit around my sheets apparently inspires quite a bit of introspection. Dave still doesn't know. In a lot of ways this may be better for us in terms of finding a geographic location where we both can do what we want. There weren't that many tenure-track positions announced for P-Chem this year (at least in the Chronicle of Higher Ed). Only a few of them were in places that I really wanted to be, and fewer were in places that would be good for Dave's job situation. I hate the idea of leaving St. Peter and Gustavus though. I know I won't be leaving for 9 months or so, but I really like it here.