Every day, I adjust a little more. It’s small things, like figuring out a sensible, and slowly cheaper and cheaper, way to get where I need to be. Becoming used to basking in the rocker out front for a while as I read my Braille display, which at the rate I’m going I will completely lose shortly, then shifting to the low metal table with two chairs to break out the Mac for some work. It’s adapting to the relatively late dinner schedule in here, meaning I learn to consume such that I am not too hungry once mealtime arrives. It’s discovering the many entertaining Netflix series that, along with the aforementioned reading, help pass long summer days that feel like a second dose of childhood.

At some undefinable point, these little changes continue until suddenly, I have made myself a temporary home. This is my longest stint in the Queen City since eight years ago, and it amazes me how different things are, and yet how the same some other things remain. Certainly my tech, and let’s be truthful, especially my iPhone are aiding in the acceptance of this new period. I can pretty much remain in my comfortable room/nook up here in the nice house and stay out of the other folks’ hair unless they are inclined for conversation. I think that this makes the situation more tenable.

Not that I am silly enough to just remain in here all of the time, of course. I am, in fact, looking for some kind of work. If all goes as I would like, I will find a position that moves me forward. To that end, I am working with a career counselor at Queens who will help me clean up my resume and may give me some ideas on what I can pursue. I have also come across an interesting opportunity on Twitter about which I will have to inquire tomorrow. See? Social media can be useful sometimes. I will definitely hit this hard for the next little while, and see if something can come to fruition.

And even as all of that unfolds, along with my working to complete grad school, the wedding preparations begin to ramp up. The main thing that will happen in relatively quick succession is acquisition of my passport, so that we can leave the country immediately after the ceremony. We figure once that document is gotten, after dealing with the bureaucracy required to do it, we may as well notch some other countries in our belt someday soon as well. So we’ll see on that. At the moment though, it’s just going to be trying to get everything funded and to not go crazy in the midst of all of this change! It’s incredibly exciting because we so rarely get the chance in life to really reset and try to get things more right, but it is also nerve-racking because my decisions and choices are tied into the fate of someone else. I just pray everyday for the wisdom to make the best calls possible.

So here I am, firmly into what I’m calling my middle transition: Chapter XI as it were. I believe that today was one of the happiest I’ve had since abandoning my Durham residence (well other than spending time with the lady in Williamsburg of course) and that things are really looking up. (I have learned from the past not to say “can only look up,” because that’s daring stuff to slide sideways, but optimistic, I’m gonna be optimistic!) Till next time, I bid you adieu. But I invite you to check out this great interview turned blog post that BookShare did with me (thank you Laura for that). Heck, that thing told me more about what I’m trying to do now than I could probably have articulated. Amazing. Back soon.