On the 100th day, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. For a variety of reasons, I have decided to stop creating blog entries about my time in Chicago. The biggest one is that the training wheels are off, so to speak. My life was oatmeal when I moved to Chicago on July 15, 2011, as of October 26, 2011, it is Ruti-Tuti-Fresh and Fruity. Let's see if I can give a rundown and wrap up with a sweet pearl of wisdom.
Friends:
Rachna is back in New Delhi. Coleman is still dropping into the bookstore, and we have plans to go to happy hour next Friday. Robert still loves the Oriental Museum, and I am still likely to join him for tours and lectures, when it is convenient.
Roommate:
Lauren is doing well. We have a nice rhythm of equally contributing to groceries and cleaning responsibilities. If one of us cooks, we don't mind sharing and we catch up with each other when time permits. She is going to a speed dating function next week, I would go but...
Romance:
I have a boyfriend. His name is Marvin and we have been dating for a couple weeks now. You might remember my first impression of him from a previous blog entry but since then, the more I learn, the more that I enjoy his company. He is so intelligent, thoughtful and good natured, I am very excited to see where this relationship goes.
Volunteer:
I connected with Beverly Cook from the Harsh collection yesterday and she is eager to get me aboard to help her with some of those materials. She does have vacation to burn up, so she plans to get me on the schedule in the middle of November. Bea Julian from the DuSable museum has a lot on her plate, but she still manages to send me job postings and resources that will move me along in the profession. I am still debating on whether to become a docent or not, I suppose that it can't hurt and it would be a consistent commitment.
Work:
I'm still plugging away at the university bookstore. Luckily, my new position at the Johnson Publishing Company starts on November 1st, and the monotony will be broken up. I will work 2 days at the bookstore, 3 days at the publishing company, and some Saturdays at the bookstore. While this will keep me stable, I am always looking for full time opportunities in archives.
School:
I have submitted my application to Drexel University for the Archival Certification program. They are on a quarter system and only admit students in the Spring and Fall quarters. The cohort, that I expect to join starts in February 2012. The program is 15 units of online courses and the credential will allow me to take the Certified Archives exam and participate in various professional organizations.
As far as my personal well-being, I am very proud of what I have accomplished in a very short amount of time. I don't have any regrets about the decisions that I have made, in fact I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Everything seems to have happened for a reason. Working at the Scottsdale Public Library has given me some lifelong friends, that I don't know what I would do without. My year working with library materials made me a shoe-in for this position in the bookstore. My time at the University of Arizona gave me an opportunity to get two credentials which will continue to serve me well. Everything isn't perfect, but I do feel that I have the tools (experience and wisdom) to fix anything that could come up. The winter weather is knocking on the door, but I've got my long underwear and Big Bertha coat, so I'm singing "hit me with your best shot!" Just like my London blog provides a nice stroll down memory lane, I am hoping to do the same for Manifest Destiny. I want to integrate some pictures, do some editing, and add to some of the sparse entries from the past couple of weeks.
In closing, thank you for your audience it definitely kept me motivated. If you want to know more about what I am up to, you know how to reach me!
Love Always.
Chaitra
Friday 28 October 2011
Tuesday 25 October 2011
Thursday 20 October 2011
Day 94 - Downtown Library
I took two buses to get downtown today in order to get work done in the big public library. I ate my lunch in the atrium and came back to the fourth floor to FOCUS.