Well, I'm in my exit row seat on the flight between Phoenix and Salt Lake City. It has been a whirlwind few days, but it has been worthwhile as well. After my late night ramblings, I finally got through to my parents at about 3:30 am in the morning (my time). I talked to Mum and Dad, and then really helped a lot. I'm feeling much better about my situation, and will simply wait and see what the future will bring.
This morning I woke up around 8 am, and grabbed some breakfast. I checked out of the campus hotel after 9 am, and drove around the old downtown section of Flagstaff. It was quaint, and then Bonnie called and we talked for 30 minutes. She's trying to put a lot of distance between us, which is her prerogative. It looks like I won't be staying at her place during Xmas, but that has yet to be figured out. I am happy for things to be platonic; maybe she is worried about her own feeling still? Apparently Lauren has strong feelings for her, which may be longer term than what Bonnie is hoping for.
After we talked, I decided to drive down to Sedona via the Oak Creek Canyon. The trip was ordinary at first, but halfway down the scenery started becoming amazing! Hug red pillars of stone, swept and tortured by water and wind into stunning configurations. I had to stop my car every five minutes to take more photos. I finally arrived in Sedona around midday, and had just enough time to snap more photos before I had to get back on the road. I was racing to get to Phoenix before the rush hour started, and I managed to find the rental care place with only a small modicum of difficulty. I arrived at the airport about 40 minutes earlier than I needed, but was happy to write postcards while I killed the time.
The interview itself was illuminating. It was a kaleidoscope of varying opinions, needs, desires, conflicts and views. It was akin to be dipped into the collective id of the institution. In all, it was positive and exhausting. I was open with the head of the search committee about my concerns and desires. I felt at times that maybe I am not as excited about teaching as I was required to seem, but a performance is what these people wanted, and they certainly received one. Being on my feet was very tiring, and on Monday I didn't get back to the hotel until 8 pm. At that point I needed to finish my future work presentation, which kept me up until midnight. On Tuesday, it was back again into the meetings and discussions. My seminar was at 4 pm, and went well past 5 pm. I got back to my room, and was intending to take a shower to celebrate my good showing. Instead, the toilet overflowed onto the carpet, and I was quickly shuffled to another room, in this case a suite!
I went to a bar and had a laid back time with the search committee chair. I mentioned, partner benefits, and he was too badly perturbed. After dinner, Kadie called. She had just finished her chemistry exam, and was freezing in the –23C weather. I talked to her for a while, and she mentioned she might have the opportunity to move to Norway. The rest of the night was a bit sleepless, which was possibly due to a combination of nerves, excess caffeine and relief.