Stressful months ahead, but a glimmer of hope!

I got back last night after three glorious weeks with my partner and my family, and I already miss both. I did not enjoy being in the east coast weather for so long and I was constantly cold, but it was nice to be "at home" with the people I love. Now I am back "at home" and getting ready for the next few months ahead of me which, if I'm lucky (really really lucky) means I can pass my PhD exams and move again! Ha ha. The life as a rootless person never ends, does it? But anyways, this time it will be for my partner, and I'm OK with that. The ironic part is that he had a job interview for a place near where I live now and the funniest part is we might actually have to decide where we want to live: central coast California or Berlin? It's a tough decision. The weather here is great, lots of outdoor activities and some friends, but we both want to be in Europe eventually... so maybe staying in Berlin is the right thing to do? Since we can't make a decision (well, I know I can't!) we hope this doesn't pose a lot of stress and anxiety while I'm trying to pass my exams.

The further ironic part is that I would "move" but I'd still be required to go off and do some research in East Asia at some point (likely in China again, bleh) or back to Lausanne, Switzerland for a while (no complaing there!) so the "move" would really mean I move my stuff and then have to bounce around the world some more on research trips. I'm currently contemplating how I'm going to get out of living anywhere longer than several weeks at a time without seeing him, because frankly I'm sick of this moving around rootlessness and I just want to stay in one place and be HOME for once (home = him).

And on a note for which not many can fully understand, yesterday I ran outside in 3 layers of clothing in 28F with windchill of like 3F, and today I went running in 18C (68F?) in shorts and a t-shirt. The first run was with my partner and the second alone, but warm and beautiful through the redwoods. Can't wait til the day I combine both of these together...