Transition

Well, I start my new job today. In about two hours, I’ll be hopping off the metro and walking into the Old Post Office building, home to the National Endowment for the Humanities. I’m working with Edsitement, a portal website for educational websites and lesson plans for K-12 teachers.

I’m trying to follow some advice from a pretty smart guy, who suggested that I establish my early morning writing habit … well, early. And 6AM sure felt early (and apparently is not early enough to get done what I want to get done), especially for a long-standing graduate student who for quite a long time went to bed around 6AM. Sure is odd seeing the sun from a different perspective.

I don’t imagine that I will get any solid dissertation writing done this morning – my mind is all tied up with other pressing issues. It has been, for instance, a long time since I’ve had to wear a tie for anything but a funeral or a wedding. I sometimes have a hard time remembering if your socks should match your shoes or your pants. Never button the bottom button on a sports coat – that’s an easy one.

Another thing that has me nervous – I must finish my coffee before leaving for work. For the past four years, I’ve snuck my coffee through the underbelly of the library to my office, where I could drink it safely outside of the glares of disapproving librarians, who think any sort of beverage aside from water (in a clear container) is an open invitation for bugs to eat their books. Now, since I’m taking Metro, who apparently disallows any beverage on their trains (despite the fact that there are NO books to eat there), I must drink all the coffee I want prior to leaving or pay some guy in DC $1.50 for burned joe at the office. Must be some sort of deal between the Metro and the DC coffee bars. Conspiracy.

Now, this is not to say that I’m not excited. These are little concerns. I’m excited – especially after working in a basement for several years – to be in an office high above Pennsylvania Avenue. With a view no less. I’m certainly excited about the project itself. And I’m definitely excited about the fact that I am no longer working at a graduate student wage, no matter how rewarding the work.

Alas, time flies, so I must post and hurry on. I need to leave a little extra time this morning – so I can make sure my socks match.