The Plan

So it's settled - my next job will either be in London, Melbourne or Boston. Why these three cities, you ask? Well, the Swearing Librarian has decided to take her hiking boots out of the closet, and these cities will help in developing some of her travel plans. In London, I could spend my vacation time in Europe, Iceland, or possibly even find cheaper flights to Africa (then from the West Coast of Canada). From Melbourne (that's Mel-bun, not Mel-Born), I could see the rest of Australia, New Zealand, and maybe even Tuvalu. And in Boston, one of the few American cities I would consider living in, I would be closer to the Maritimes (without actually having to live there), New York, and would have greater access to direct flights to Central and South America (I hear the Inca Trail is much better the second time around, especially if you're not a token sick girl). I should also mention that these three cities are all pretty awesome on their own, and I have at least one contact in each place - the Boston one being the farthest of the stretch, because she is more of an acquaintance than a friend, but an acquaintance who happens to know one of the HR guys at the Boston Public Library).

Of course, by settled, I mean that this idea is purely hypothetical and dependant on finding jobs there, having the three foreign countries want to give me a job over one of their own, and my being able to afford the mental and monetary costs of moving and living there. But what the fuck - I'm young(ish), have no husbands or kids that I know of, a supportive family (right, guys? Guys? Are you still there?), and if I want to follow in the footsteps of my intellectual freedom and role model prof from library school who's worked all over the world, I better get cracking. I've got to start somewhere ... and god knows somewhere aint here, where tonight it is -32 with the windchill, which is just inhumane if you ask me. My two exceptions to this latest, manic idea of mine will be A) finding the PERFECT job elsewhere (such as the Innocentio Library in Florence or teaching children's lit at UBC without having to get a PhD) and B) finding the PERFECT guy elsewhere (such as Strombo - George Stroumboulopoulos - in Toronto or Ewan MacGregor's younger brother - if he has one - in Scotland. I'd love to have Ewan, but he's married with kids and I may be many things, but a homewrecker is not one of them). Barring those two highly unlikely events, mark my words - this time next year, I'll be in London, Melbourne or Boston.