One Year in New Hampshire

Since my return to the US, I have done many things, although at times it seems like nothing at all. I slowed down on emails and blogging, as it felt like I had little news to share and no interesting travel to report. I spent a lot of time visiting family and friends in the US, something I had not had a chance to do in several years.








































I was fortunate to come back to a friend’s house, a place where I could stay a while and store all of my things. I expected to be here for only a few months. Lucky for me I have a good friend who has put up with me far longer than that. In return I have tried to pitch in as much as I can, helping around the house and doing a few projects.























I have been living in New Hampshire, far from any big cities and close to lots of nature. During the course of a year, I experienced all the seasons and a wide range of temperatures. I have enjoyed watching all the wonders of Mother Nature – blue skies, storms, leaves changing colours, and snow. This was something I really missed over the last several years.
























I spent Halloween with a bunch of new friends (all in costume), went to New York City for Chinese New Year, and celebrated St Patrick’s Day running around Annapolis (in a green dress) with old friends. My brother Phil and I spent a birthday weekend at the beach in North Carolina in November, I met my father in Florida for my cousin’s wedding, and I spent a few long weekends in Connecticut at my grandparents’ house.

With little or no work, I spent a lot of time taking care of myself: exercising most days – walking, biking, yoga, weights – and preparing meals at home. I read a few books and began to study Russian again, kept up with daily news and information online and caught up on lots of mindless TV shows. I took some part time work in the winter at the front desk of a ski resort and in the summer at a concert pavilion in the t-shirt booth.

My job search started out slowly, as I figured out what kind of jobs I wanted and how to go about applying. After a few months I had my resume in good shape and got better at writing applications and cover letters. The standard forms for government job applications used to take me 3-4 hours, now I can crank one out in about an hour! I’ve also considered updating my resume to include the many skills I’ve developed this year: job search specialist and resume writer, landscaper/gardener, ski patroller, merchant of useless souvenirs, personal trainer, chef, or Tour de France commentator.

So now, one year has passed since I returned to the US and I am ready to get back to work and move forward. I have had several interviews and have hundreds of applications out there. Now I just have to wait. In the meantime, if you have useful suggestions or know of a job for me, feel free to email me – I can do almost anything!

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