I’m bored.
It’s been about 2 months since I’ve graduated. Since then there has been one official job rejection, one interview, and two “we should have something opening up soon and we’ll call you then” that I haven’t heard back from. It’s pretty discouraging and depressing, especially since we decided staying at home with a newborn is a priority and thus I’m not looking for any new full time positions. Even if it’s a choice I made, it doesn’t make me feel any less like a bump on a log.
When I was a kid and would say I was bored, my mom told me to go clean my room. I would reply that cleaning your room is boring too so that wouldn’t help the situation. Being an adult, I must say, my feelings haven’t changed. Cleaning is boring.
So what have I been doing lately? The week after graduation I took a week long intensive course to finish up my public health certification. John graduated. A few days after that, I started a nannying job that looked promising. It was only about 10 hours a week, but something was better than nothing! The kids were adorable and well-behaved. I really enjoyed it. A month later, though, the mom told me they had changed their mind about needing a nanny in July. I don’t think it was personal (though how can you ever really not think that?), because I’m sure they would have communicated if there had been a problem. Unfortunately, I had planned on having the job through July, and mid-June I was unemployed anew.
Boo.
I was doing a little research for a professor that I had ben working on since last fall. The grant money, unfortunately, was dried up. But I was willing to work for free because it was a chance at a publication. I finished my piece of the research a few weeks ago and turned it in. The last I heard was a “Got it, thanks.”
So still unemployed, now with nothing to do.
I took to Facebook, begging anyone to hire me to do anything legal that didn’t require (much) manual labor. I got a gig housesitting. Housesitting is awesome and terrible at the same time. The amount you get paid is largely less than the amount of work you do. I think the general expectation is that you’ll move into the house you are sitting for, but because the couple forgot to mention they had a cat, my husband can’t stay there (allergic). And we didn’t want to spend 10 days apart, especially as they forgot to give me the internet password. So instead I’m going over there 2-3 a times a day to feed and walk the dog, water the garden and grass, get the mail, etc.
On the other hand, we get to play house for a bit. A dog to walk, a nice deck to sit on, a kitchen to cook in that has amenities like space and a dishwasher. The washer and dryer doesn’t work, unfortunately.
That gig ends tomorrow. Which leaves me doubly, triply unemployed. Helpful suggestions like “just get a job” will be ignored.
We move in three weeks. Don’t tell John, because that means it’s less than 3 weeks until he takes the bar. There’s much I would typically be doing, and things I keep think I should be doing – but none seem practical. “Ooh, I’ll sew some curtains for the new place! But wait, I don’t know how big the windows are or what color rug will buy. Guess that should wait.” Or “I’ll start packing up the stuff in the office! Oh, no, John is still using that room to study.” I STRONGLY believe that mess is not conducive to studying effectively, so I don’t want John to be studying for the biggest test of his life (no pressure, hun) in the nightmare that is packing a 512 ft apartment.
So I’m just bored. Bored, depressed, and unproductive. The real problem is boredom begets boredom (that and we’re just about broke.) So while I think of the the thousands of things I could do with a summer of freedom (travel! hang gliding! fabulous hiking!) it seems that virtually everything, with the exception of reading and surfing the internet require a) money, b) not being prego, or c) someone who is likewise unemployed and free during the daylight hours to do them with.
So internet, I’m in a funk. What would you do if you found yourself suddenly unemployed and free of obligations? And completely broke?*
*No, we’re not completely broke, just obviously trying to save every penny we can. So suggestions of “cheap” entertainment like “go to a matinee!” do not count.
Ugh, been there done that. It’s not fun. Is there a local hospital or library near by that you could volunteer at? Also have you checked places like the hospital for simple merit type positions? They might not pay a lot but it might be enough to suppliment your income until the little one gets here and often there are a lot of part time gigs there that are more conducive to doing a little work once the baby is here (part time, nights, etc.) It’s not using your new degree, but often if you’re already employed (no matter the position) at a hospital, university, etc. and qualified for the new position you’re applying to you can get special consideration. This is actually what I’m banking on when I get my MLS (in more than a few years).
Clean your room!
I don’t have any suggestions other than maybe making a picnic to take to a park – yes even if it’s by yourself. I suggest this and have been thinking of doing it myself… but still haven’t. Maybe whilst reading?
On another note, my 5 year old niece told me she was bored and I told her to take a nap.
Write a book. Then you can be stressed about writers block rather than bored. 😉
I always found unemployment to be more work than anything else because I *had* to find work and that struggle is endless. But recently Josh and I were discussing all of the crazy things I did when job hunting (made bread *every* day, grew sprouts, etc.). If you try to focus on saving money even when it isn’t worth it you may find yourself with a whole lot more to do. I expect detailed posts on hand-washing your laundry and finding all of your food in the wild this summer. 😉
Good luck!
I totally am going to go all pioneer woman after we move and back to my JV ways of saving every penny we can. Right now most of it seems impractical so soon pre move. I do wish I had baked more bread back in the spring when it was a reasonable temperature to turn the oven on!
I’m basically in your boat right now, except not broke. (I’m taking it easy with finding another job because our basic needs are taken care of with Mike’s job.) I have lots of plans — I keep a list of long-term projects I want to complete, and I’m going to tackle them in this time, and also do more genealogy research. I’m going to work to grow my freelance businesses and my blog, and I’m going to find Meetups where I can meet new people in our area, including free ones like walking groups. I’m going to find some people at organizations I’m interested in working at and meet them for coffee to figure out where I might be able to get a job. Not sure if any of those apply to you, but I’m sure you can find some things! Please also feel free to get in touch if you want any help with the job search 🙂
This is a cool site: http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/index.html , and it’s run by the UN (yes, the United Nations!). You can browse online international volunteering opportunities. I found this site because a friend was in his office one day looking at satellite images, trying to find some guy whose plane had crashed in the wilderness of Colorado. It all varies widely, but maybe you could find something legit that piques your interest.
This website is pretty entertaining: http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1429
On the volunteering kick, you probably know this, but idealist.org also lists some volunteering opportunities, although I’m not sure if you have transport necessarily.
Think about something random you’ve always wanted to know about or what you wanted to take an elective in during college but never got around to (languages, science, art, photography, homesteading, etc), and ask an expert in that field for a suggested reading list. Scour the Internet for more info on it.
Study the GRE vocabulary again!
Try one new recipe a day (this could take $ maybe, though).
Write one good friend per day, with whom you haven’t been in touch in a little while.
Make a list of 50 things you want to do in the place you’ll be living.
Make a list of 100 dream things you want to do as a family throughout your lives.
Do yoga stretches. (I saw an 8-month pregnant woman at my vinyasa yoga class. It was crazy! She just modified the belly poses.)
Read about parenting and babies? Up your dosage of mommy blogs and blogs about pregnancy? Maybe too obvious, but I’ve been meaning to read all of these websites sometime when I get the chance:
http://www.healthychild.org
http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/
http://www.modernalternativemama.com
Depends on whether you like to bask in the details or not, though, I think!
Write more blog posts so we can read about all these cool things you’ll be doing!
Wow! Great ideas!! I have been OD’ing on the pregnancy blogs, but your’s look much better than the ones I’ve been reading. I do want to start volunteering after we move. I need to get off my butt and doing some yoga. Thanks for the resources!