Groovin' in B-town

Listening to: Big Fat VooDoo Daddy
So, after moving out here from Iowa for the whole "higher higher" education thing, I figured there would be some sort of epihany in my soul or my mind where I'd realize that I never want to live in Iowa City again, that I'm destined to travel the world doing interesting things and will never again settle down and live in one place for a long time. That isn't exactly the case though. As I start to look for possible internships for this summer, the possibilities are endless, Washington, D.C. Foldger Shakespeare Library, Chicago Art Institute, hell I could even go out to California, IF I didn't need money. Reality has this way of crushing dreams huh? 97% or so of library internships aren't paid positons and don't offer housing or living stipends either. I'd really like to be in Chicago this summer. I guess I'm still a Midwestern gal at heart in that respect. I could imagine waking up every day and being excited to go to work in a library situated in the Art Institute, take the subway down, or walk past galleries and shops to get there. Then get to enter through the "staff" doors and to walk past famous glorious works of art EVERYDAY! How wonderful would that be? Then, get to sit at a reference desk and answer patron questions about different artists, works of art, or where to find information on a certain architect. I think that would be a perfect fit for me. Actually, collection development and management would be a perfect fit for me too (perhaps this is because I did this at the health sciences lib at the U I for 5 years, and that I'm taking classes in both reference librarianship and collection development this semester) but either way, the setting and environment would be great. Heck, I'd even subject myself to cataloging all day (sorry Christa- it's your cup of tea, not mine) in order to be there. So, that whole, needing to make money to afford my education does rear its ugly head. Perhaps though, I can figure something out.
I guess I still haven't lost that belief that if I try hard enough something good will come my way and be right for me...I already know that is the case for the move to Bloomington. It has definately been the right move for me to make in my life. As nervous as I was to come here and start out again, after 22 years in the same town I grew up in, with the same core group of friends I've had since highschool and even elementary and then adding to that core...I've had to branch out and meet new people that I knew nothing about before saying "hello" I think there is something to be said for that philosophy of "throwing yourself into a new and exciting situation, where you are forced to bond with people over the smallest of things, like, a love of popcorn, or many other commonalities you discover through small talk, until you realize that these people are great. I already feel lucky that, even if I haven't met the entire human composition of my graduate program , I have met, those that I believe are some of the best elements it has to offer. As for the rest of the IU population, I've got a few from the dorm that are also steller girls that I already consider friends.
I worry some that the folks back in IA will forget about me...I feel like if I'm always the one that calls to see how they are doing, they will get annoyed and stop answering the phone when my name comes up, figuring that, as far away as I am (only six hrs) I'm still far enough away that they'll get tired of my pesky questions. When I went home the other weekend I was comforted to know that not much has changed in that town in the six weeks since I left. One of the restaurants changed names, apparently there's a starbucks in the mall now, and my friends, well, they remain the fabulous IC folks I remember them to be. So I guess if I have to be at home this summer, making money instead of in Chicago doing the internship it won't be entirely bad, I'll still have great people to spend the after hours with!