Summer Jobs, Summer Fun, Summer Heat

My 'vacation' is over and I've been occupying myself with several projects, one of which is my dissertation. Unfortunately for my academic career, the dissertation has taken a back seat to another project that is more interesting to me and will be revealed shortly. Check back tomorrow for more details!

I've also been applying to temporary jobs for the summer. My dreams of idling away this summer were smashed less than an hour after landing on American soil when, on my drive home from BWI, I saw gas being advertised for $4.05. (Parents: sorry for frightening you with my wail of despair.)

Source

In the end, it is for the best that I try to find a temporary job. I haven't had a summer 'free' since I was 12. From ages 13 to 19 I worked as first a camp counselor and then later camp riding instructor and barn manager at Columbia Horse Center. The following summer I took several economics courses at the local community college and served a journalism internship with ATHGO at the World Bank. The next two summers were spent with the Department of State in Arlington and Edinburgh. And now...I am unemployed and drifting. In addition to some 'serious position' applications, I've also filled out a few for the local health food stores, an eco-living store, an organic farm, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

Confession: I would be more than happy to get a job at the MD Renaissance Festival. When I was 7, my life's ambition was to be a historical re-enactor at Colonial Williamsburg. It could be argued that I fulfilled this goal in my sophomore year at SMCM when I worked at Historic St. Mary's City sorting lead type for the print house, raising flags aboard the Dove, and climbing trees behind Smith's Ordinary in order to hack off an invasive form of ivy growing upon them. And while I long ago abandoned such career goals for more loftier ambitions (foreign correspondent, foreign service officer, analyst to name but a few), I will admit that there is a large part of me that would be chuffed to work at the Ren Fest. Especially since I have attended it every single year since birth. (True fact.)