Hey Now, Don't Dream It's Over

After two absolutely perfect weeks in my hometown of San Diego (where, believe it or not, I didn't take a single photograph - I was too busy just enjoying it) I am now in Boston. My post-MBA vacation is over and reality is about to set in. On Tuesday I will start working and the first part of my job will involve trying to finalize my Spanish work permit, which to date has taken two months to acquire and will possibly take two more by the time everything is said and done.

And so I'm in a hotel. A nice hotel near the river. And since tomorrow is Labor Day, I am starting my new job right: with a holiday! I think the last time I was in Boston was in 1995 when I was looking at colleges, so even though I've spent quite a bit of time here in the past, it was certainly a while ago and I'll probably be spending the better part of my day tomorrow remembering how to get around. Next week I'll move into an apartment for the remainder of my stay in Boston.

It's a little strange being here. I was trying to think of the last time I felt this way and I realized I probably haven't really. Every time I've moved to a new city in the past, aside from Bucharest last summer, it was for school, and there were lots of events to attend and people to meet. So I guess my closest experience to this would have to be my summer in Romania... and at least here I can speak the language!

Being from California, there's also always something about heading back east, particularly in late summer, when it's still warm and humid but you know fall is just around the corner. No matter how many times I've flown east, I still always have a strange sense of nostalgia that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it's just something to do with the fact that I didn't sleep enough last night because the power went out for several hours and I couldn't finish my laundry and packing until 3am.

Anyway, it has been an incredible summer. I've been to some pretty amazing places, seen lots of old friends and made some new ones, laughed a lot, and definitely made the most of it. I certainly won't look back on this summer with any regret... it has been absolutely perfect, and I think I might ALMOST be ready to (gulp) start working again. Happy Labor Day, everyone!