Academic Job Offer

Well, that was fast. And really slow, all at the same time.

I have received a job offer for a professor position. A week or two ago, wasn't I just asking myself if I wanted this?  And now the offer is sitting there in my email, sparkling and shining and singing and generally making a big thing of itself.  Professor Zil. Who'd o' thought.

Next step - something I'm terrible at. Negotiating. You see, it's not a great offer. In today's academic job offer, it is very precious indeed, but it requires a bit of tweaking or I'll enter into it all set up to fail. They expect the negotiating though, so I guess it's okay. Maybe they even downgraded it to allow for the negotiating process. Luckily, academics like to talk about themselves, so there's much advice to be had from my good friend Google.

The location of this position? Let's just say it's not the tropics. It's so not the tropics that I can only see it as a 3-4 year plan, a stepping stone toward a better position that will be.... well.... still not the tropics. But a tiny bit closer. In my dreams.

I have to move across the country to get to it. That implies 1) hassle, 2) house hunting, 3) expense, 4) more negotiating, 5) starting from scratch again on my social life - which is also something I'm terrible at.

I moved here to develop my social life, but alas, I'm moving away shortly after to pursue my career. When does the life trump the career, I wonder?

Climbing, climbing, climbing.... Arms up high over our heads... and WEEEEEEEE!  And so the roller coaster ride begins.

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