So, I have some big news: I took a new job. In about three weeks Boyfriend and I will be moving nine hours away so I can take it. It feels enormously big and terrifying and exciting and awesome all at the same time.
The job is to be the editor of the newspaper in the town where I went to college, Morris, MN. I was actually living in Morris when I started this blog about three years ago, but shortly after moved to Madison to start grad school. I went to grad school in order to get a job exactly like this one, so this new job is a great opportunity for me. I know this is a job that I can do really well, and I can’t wait to get started. On the other hand, I love Madison and am going to be really sad to leave here. Emotionally, I’ve been up and down about everything all week, but mostly up 🙂
Because of all the, you know, life changes, I haven’t felt like reading or blogging or really doing anything of the sort. I’ve been making lists and researching U-Haul prices and calling landlords and numbing my brain with some mindless tv… but not much reading. I can’t seem to focus long enough on the books I’ve got obligations to read (book clubs, book tours) to get anywhere with them. And I can’t figure out how to write anything resembling coherent blog posts or reviews while my brain is going a million miles an hour all the time.
Happily, my brother and sister came to Madison this weekend, and they’ve been a welcome distraction/sounding board while I freak out about the move. We went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 yesterday, which I thought was awesome. The pacing near the end was a bit off, but overall I thought it was a fitting end to the movies. It also made me want to re-read the books immediately, which I might do just because I could use some comfort reads at the moment. They also brought me a bunch of cupcakes, yum.
I wish I had more bookish things to say, but at the moment books are about the last thing I can think about (other than trying to estimate how many boxes I’m going to need to move all of mine — I should start a pool or something!). I’m not sure what’s going to happen with the blog in the next month or so — I expect erratic posting, shorter reviews, and fewer comments on other blogs — but I hope you’ll stick around while I get picked up, moved, and settled again.
When life goes crazy, do you dive into books for comfort or find yourself unable to read at all? What books do you turn to when you need to get centered again?
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Oh wow, congratulations! But sad about leaving Madison. I miss it every single day! But of course I did not move to a nice place like Minnesota! :–) This is so exciting for you – I wish you the best of luck! (The last time we moved I think we needed something like 90 boxes for books – thank heavens for Woodman’s – great selection of boxes at around 3 a.m.!)
congratulations on the job, that is so exciting. And, how fun to return to your college town as a non-student! Good luck with all the packing, moving, and change!
Congrats on your job! 🙂
For me, it depends on the life craziness as to whether I focus on books or not. But usually, I just get lost rewatching one of my fave TV series instead.
Good luck on your move back to Morris. I spent 20 years teaching in Graceville but haven’t been back for 15 years now. I love living near Rochester and can’t imagine leaving a medium sized city for a small town again.
I usually do bury myself in my comfort reads when I get stressed. Lois McMaster Bujold or Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are my current comfort writers.
Congrats on the new job! I think I’d need a moving company just for my books. 🙂
I have a hard time concentrating on reading when a lot is going on.
Congratulations! That is so wonderful. When life gets crazy for me I generally stop reading and turn to tv, the ultimate entertainment requiring very little input from me. I do turn to a few comfort reads, and that’s usually when I want to read about witches and vampires. I went through the last three months or so. I am just now returning to more serious reads.
Woohoo! *happy dance for Kim’s new job* Big congratulations to you!
When life is just emotionally overwhelming, I tend to dive into books, but when it’s logistically overwhelming (like having to plan a move nine hours away), spacing out with The Real Housewives of Whatever is the best I can do.
First off, congratulations about the new job and the move! That’s wonderful news (um … yeah, OK, pun intended there). What a perfect job for you! As you know from my kvetching on FB, we’re in the midst of a move too … and all I want to do is dive into my piles of books to avoid everything associated with it.
And I have to tell you … both you and Galleysmith are right after each other in my Google Reader this morning and you both have posts with Ch-ch-ch-changes in the title. Had to do a double take to make sure GR wasn’t messing with my head. 🙂
Congrats on the new job! Good luck witht he move!
Oh Kim, how awesome! I’m sure it’s all very very stressful, but I just want to tell you, as someone who moved thousands of miles for a job recently, for the right job it is so worth it. Best of all possible luck!
When I’m in times of stress, I read comfort books and mainline whole seasons of television shows. Say Yes to the Dress is on Netflix instant stream, as is Toddlers and Tiaras. I only mention it. I make no moral judgments about it. (Such a lie. I think the reason Toddlers and Tiaras is so soothing is that I can feel totally self-righteous while watching it (I am convinced that self-righteousness produces serotonin), yet it demands nothing of my brain. The perfect stress reliever!)
Congratulations on the new job! Sounds like a fantastic opportunity, but I know how hard it is to leave the places you love, too. Best of luck with the move and everything!
Being able to read, for me, depends on the kind of crazy life is. If I were you, I don’t imagine I’d be able to do much reading either. Whenever I’m manically planning for something, books (and blogging!) tend to fall of the radar (which is probably why I *always* fail to write a quick “I’m going on vacation or something” post when I’m headed out of town despite my best intentions). This week, life’s been a crazy in a different way for me which has me dashing to the stacks in an effort to avoid, avoid, avoid. Actually, I think I’m just seconding what Rebecca said with a lot more words. 😉
What a timely post. I’ve neglected my poor blog and my books for 2 wks because life is making other demands. I’m in a funk reading funk – big time! Everytime I grab a book on my way to work – I do most of my reading on my commute- I return home and find that I haven’t looked past the cover.
Maybe a therapeutic trip to the bookstore will get me jump started again. I need a new fun summer read 🙂
Hope you have a smooth move!
Congratulations! That is wonderful news–best of luck with the move and the new job. I’m sure you’ll be great.
When I have the kind of major stress you’re talking about I tend to either read stuff I’ve read before, watch mindless TV/movies, and/or research every aspect of my new situation extensively on the Internet.
Moving is so disruptive. It seems like it should only be for the move itself, but then there’s all the unpacking and getting cable installed and all that. I hope your move goes well and you find everything you packed when you get there.
Congratulations on the job, that’s fantastic! 🙂 when stuff goes crazy in my life, I re-read kids books: the little women series, harry potter, anything by Noel Streatfeild and the Anne of Green Gables books. They calm me down. I’m not sure what that says about my mentality!
Good luck with the move! Moving books is usually madness 😛
Congrats on your new job! I go right to comfort reading when life gets stressful and busy. I’m glad you’re coping and I hope the move goes well – since I’m doing one myself at about the same time, I know full well how painful it is hauling books somewhere else!
Congrats on the new job! How great that you found a dream job 🙂 Hey now we’ll be in the same state – except I’m in SE MN.
Any move is stressful, but it’s just a phase and it’d be over before you know it!
Moving is always bittersweet, but this is definitely a very positive move for you! Congratulations on your new job! I predict great things for you!
Woohoo, congratulations! Moving is teh suck, but you get to be an EDITOR. Please start signing off as Kim the Dork, ed., on every post of this blog.
Kim, congats on the job, it sounds very awesome. My excitment is hard to muster – happy to see your hard work rewarded, sad to see you guys go. Will definately keep up with the blog!
Congratulations on the job – how exciting! When I’m stressed I do read, but nothing challenging, usually just guilty pleasure reading (re-reads of favorites or young adult books). Writing is very hard for me to do when I’m feeling emotionally disheveled though. I hope the move goes smoothly for you!
Congrats on your new job! Newspaper editor! Awesome! Books do take up a lot of boxes — they can’t be too big or they just become too heavy to move. There’s also the risk of the boxes collapsing from the bottom even if they’re taped well.
I’ve had to move a few times in the last few years and I can’t even remember if I had the time to read much or not. If so, I’m sure they were just light reads.
Wow, congratulations Kim! That is absolutely fantastic and I hope it goes well. For me it depends really… When I was moving to Toronto (made the decision and just over two weeks later I had moved) I read very little because I was so busy, but also once the decision was made I read more than I had been before and immediately after I moved I read a ton!
Such great news, Kim – congratulations on the job, and good luck with the move! I’m sure you’ll do great with both :-D.
I find it hard to concentrate on reading when it’s a stressful time for me, too, so I’ll choose books that are less demanding or get my story fix from television shows (one reason I love having TV series on DVD!).
Congrats on the new job ! Good luck with everything including the big move !
Congratulations on the new job and good luck with the move. I hope everything calms down for you soon and you settle into your new life. I can’t read when I have a lot going on – I find myself watching TV instead.
Congratulations on your new job! I have a hard time concentrating on reading when I am anxious. Once you get moved and settled in, you’ll be able to read again. Look at it as a big adventure. You’ll have so much new stuff to write about. Good luck.
Oh, Kim! Congratulations!!!! That’s amazing. I’m in the middle of moving right now too and I haven’t been doing any reading. Just a couple pages here and there. I also haven’t been blogging too much.
Congrats! This sounds like a terrific opportunity. Blogging and bloggers will still be here when you’ve settled into your new place and new job.
Congratulations on the new job! I went through a similar problem with reading when we moved half-way across the country in June. I watched a lot of tv; it was the only thing to calm my brain. The stress of moving kept me from my normal reading for a few months, but it’s so good to be back to old habits, and I’m sure you will be soon too. Good luck!
Congrats on your new job! Changes like this are always a bit terrifying, but they help keep things from going stale and it really sounds like you are going to have a wonderful adventure ahead of you! Moving is the worst, but once that’s through, you’ll have so many great new things to look forward to!
Wow! Congratulations!
Congrats on the new job! And good luck with your move! omg, so exciting.
*throws confetti* Oh, my goodness! That is so freakin’ cool, congratulations!!!! Yay!!!!
Congrats on the new job, it sounds wonderful!
Congrats on the new job. It sounds perfect for you! When my life is chaotic, I have a hard time sitting down to read or blog. I wind up sitting in front of the tv like a zombie or sleeping. Hopefully you’ll be all settled down soon.
Congrats on the job! And don’t worry about the blogging; the last time I moved I was not at all in the mood for it either, and I was only moving about a few blocks away, not to a new state!
Sometimes life craziness makes me want to read, sometimes not, but I usually smooth out times of upheaval by re-reading something off the all-time favorites shelf… something nice and familiar and on which I don’t have to concentrate too hard.
Congratulations!
Holy crap congratulations!! Take some time, watch some tv and we will still be here when you are settled. Have fun!!
Congratulations!! That is uber-awesome!! I know it’s going to be strange and scary moving to a different place, but soon you’ll get settled into it!
Oh wow, congrats on the new job! I’ve been the editor of a small-town newspaper, so I know somewhat what you’re facing. Good luck!
How did I miss this exciting news! CONGRATULATIONS! I enjoy following your career. Best to you and enjoy the move as an adventure. A wonderful adventure on the path to your dreams.
Congratulations! A new job is wonderful news and I’m so excited for you!
As someone who moves almost every summer, I know how stressful moving can be so I totally understand if your posts/comment aren’t as frequent as usual: focus on you for a while! We will all be here when you get back.
Usually, when life gets really busy/stressful I neglect my reading and opt for something mindless like TV, movies, and video games. That being said, a lot of movies/TV shows also really make me want to do more reading! I am definitely planning on doing a Harry Potter re-reading of my own after watching the final movie installment!
Oh how exciting!!!! I am so happy for you. I think you would like the book I just finished, News To Me – about Laurie Herzel’s journey from the library to Star and Tribune Senior Book Editor. I loved it.
Huge congratulations to you! This is huge news! Well done.
During times of upheaval like this, I usually end up re-reading my comfort books (lots of Elinor Lipman, plus The Spy Wore Red are my go-to books) *if* I find time to read at all. Sometimes it just gets a little wild with all that “real life” stuff and the reading life has to slow to a walk. But you’ll be back. And we’ll be patient. : )
Hooray! Congratulations on the job and good luck with your move! When things are going crazy, I usually read books less as I’m too distracted to focus on them. To chill, I’ll usually turn to music or movies instead.
And no worries, we’ll be around for after you get settled and can return to blogging.
Congratulations! That is so wonderful.
welcome to my air max eshop,thanks.
How very cool!! Congratulations on the new job and the move and exciting changes!
Congrats on the new job and big move. You a HP fan-I do not see it.
Thanks for all of the kind words everyone! I really appreciate it!
Glad you got a job you really want!!
Good luck Kim. My only regret is that I never got around to meeting you in person while you were in Madison. Boo.
I haven’t left quite yet! Our big move day is August 11.