Grad School Finished and Looking Ahead

Well, it's done. A week ago I turned in my dissertation to the school office and in so doing, I finished my degree. I'm actually quite proud of it, to tell you the truth. It's titled "Generation Interrupted: Fractured education effects of conflict and displacement on Syrian national identity." Sounds quite fancy, doesn't it? Basically it's a look at Syrian children and how disrupted education might affect collective national identity. I had data and things. Used big words. It was quite good.

My original plan for finishing school was to get a job based in Europe but with frequent trips to the field included in the bargain. However, it was quite a while ago that I realized getting a work visa for the EU was extremely difficult for North Americans. Companies, NGOs even Inter-Governmental Organizations aren't quick to sponsor people to get their work visas. They want you to already have the right to work in the EU. I've known several people to get the job offer initially,  but then have the offer rescinded because they didn't have proper documentation already. And it's not an easy fix.

So I look for work elsewhere. Right now I'm searching for positions in the States and in the developing world. Countries like DRC-Congo, South Sudan, Jordan, Turkey, Myanmar, Angola.  I'm also looking for some policy and NGO places in Washington, DC. It's very interesting not to know for sure what continent I might be on in a few months. I mean, I'm a gypsy and love a decent level of uncertainty in my life, but this is pushing the envelope. Job searches for graduates are extremely stressful. Yet,  I've got skills, knowledge and a Masters, so I'm hopeful that someone somewhere in the world will take a chance on an unknown kid. And then my next chapter will begin.

Until then I head back to the States. First LA and then Nashville.  I haven't been back since I left 11 months ago, and I've done enough travel to know reverse culture shock will be challenging. When I was newly back from Brazil, there was one day I nearly had a break down because there was too much English being spoken near me. Yeah. Weird. I'm sure it will be something else that my delicate and fragile european sensibilities will feel overpowered by.  I'm sure it doesn't help that I'll be very very sad to leave here and especially to leave my friends.

To help mitigate the loss I've created a list of things I've missed about the States and am very excited to get back to. USA! USA! USA!

1. De niece and de nephews: I now have five nephews and one niece. Charlie, Lizzie, James, Kiran, Ollie and Anthony.  I've missed baseball games, birthdays, loose teeth, in one nephew's case his actual birth, and especially christmas. Pictures, Facebook and FaceTime have made it possible to stay in touch but it doesn't substitute for hugs and kisses. I cannot wait!!!

2. Ice. Giant cups of drinks with ICE. Europe does not really do ice. So when you want a really tall, really cold glass of water, you will be disappointed. Our britta doesn't really fit in our fridge so water in our house has often been of the lukewarm variety. It's a total first world problem, but I'm crazy for a giant to-go cup of iced tea. Crazy for it I tell you.

3. Air conditioning. Have you ever heard someone talk about how they despise Europe in the summer and thought, "How bougie can you get!!" It's one of the more 1% things I've ever heard. And yet I get it. Fortunately for me, Brussels only dabbles in hot days, because there isn't any AC. Except at the movie theater. But not in apartments or cafes or stores. And we've had our share of 90 something degrees Fahrenheit this summer, so I will enjoy every freezing restaurant I sit in when I'm back.

4. Packaging in English. Medicine, frozen food, directions for things. For most of my life, I have hardly ever followed directions. But when all the things here in this foreign country are understandably in French or Dutch, things can get confusing. You really start to infer things very quickly the first time you cook a frozen pizza in a foreign country.

5. Target. I may not need anything nor have the money to buy anything, but just knowing there is one place for 99% of anything I can think of to need? Yes, it's very American of me. In this category also goes grocery stores that don't close at 2pm on Sundays, and 24/hour Walgreens.

7. Evaporating that 7-9 hour time difference between myself and most of my friends and family. Chilling on couches with people. Talking about lots of things and nothing. It's been a very long time.


On the other side of this coin of things I'm looking forward to about the USA is the list of things it breaks my heart to leave behind. I can't bring myself to list them otherwise I'll be a pile of salt water just like John Stewart on his final show last week. But they know who they are. Or they should. Anyway that's a blog post for the flip side. Ten days till the USA. And then who knows.