DC, Berlin, Santa Cruz, Beijing

I got my money to go do my research! As excited as I am about this, and as ecstatic as I am that this means I can leave Santa Cruz and not come back for a few years, I am a little nervous about all that must be accomplished in the next few months and even more worried about my hopping around the world. If I follow the schedule exactly, this is what it looks like:

- end of June -> DC (conference in Philly last weekend in June), then off to Berlin! :D

- late June or early July->early September: Berlin, while working on my QEs, perhaps working a part-time online job (for the uni) and 3-4 weeks in July of German classes (e.g. 3 hours/ 4 days per week, at the same time L takes his classes). I'm OK with all this 1) because I will get permanent residency in Germany after I reach A1 level in German and 2) because, most importantly, L and I will be working at the same time during the day and spending all of our leisure time together. In August, we will likely take a trip to Spain to see his parents, but aside from that I'll be work work working for the QEs!

- early September -> return to Santa Cruz and pass QEs (fingers crossed)

- mid September -> return to Berlin, run marathon with L, prepare for Beijing

- late September or early October -> Beijing for a year-ish with the last 6 weeks in Taipei

I'm a little worried because I hate flying and moving around so much. Yeah yeah OK so I used to NOT hate it so much before the last year or two... It's not the adaptation to a new environment that worries me. Hell, I LIKE that part of it--it's like a fun challenge figuring out where to go run or buy my groceries (although finding an apartment would be one of the REALLY NOT FUN parts of this). I'm even excited to get paid for a year to do something I LIKE to do: putz around in research materials and discover new ones leading to new research directions. I just wish L could come along with me to BJ. Luckily I think I'm just going to make trips back and forth occasionally, and I'll get him to come visit me on his break from the uni. I suppose the best part about all this is that I'm receiving a fellowship that provides enough money for a decent place to live (*happy dance*) for the first time in my life. So even if everything else sucks, at least I won't be extremely poor--I'll be able to afford decent housing AND drinks!