I spent the day driving around south King county. I had two interviews, one in the morning with the city of Burien for a cool community engagement position, and one in the afternoon for an ESL instructor position at Highline Community College. Both jobs are part time, and since they aren't close to anything, both would require a lot of driving. The Burien one is also shorter-term than I realized.
After spending the day in the boredom and mild-to-moderate frustration that accompanies operating a car in the city, coming home to Vashon is an incredible contrast. The almost absurd lushness of the vegetation on the island this time of year, the idiosyncratic layout of the homes and roads. It is not perfect, but it is better than a lot of what else is out there. Perhaps Vashon is really just a driver's paradise.
I'm finding that I'm increasingly beginning to think like a driver. This is something that I was intentionally trying to avoid. Today I made a left turn as someone was entering the crosswalk. She didn't have to jump out of the way or anything, but if I was her I would have been annoyed. Drivers have an obligation to be extra sure they have a clear path of travel, by virtue of their using huge, deadly machines to get around. When people spend too much time behind the wheel they start to see the world as just a complex gameboard of roads and other cars. The people, the life, the fabric of the city around them is forgotten. Before too long people forget that those things even matter. This is how places like Federal Way get built.
I found out this evening that I did not get in to UW's Master of Urban Planning Program this fall. I should have applied to more than one school, and I shouldn't have assumed I would get in. It wasn't much of a surprise at this point, halfway through May, but it was a disappointment. This was what I was going to be doing. This is what I told myself and anyone who would listen what I'd be doing.
I hate that I've been back a year and have almost nothing to show for myself. I hate how well my friends from peace corps, college, high school are doing. (yes, I'm also glad for them). I hate how I can't give someone any kind of an answer when they ask what I'm doing these days. I had continuing to be a financial drag on my parents this late into my adulthood.
I guess the idea now is to find some kind of full-time work and keep living with the parents and save up enough to be able to go somewhere. Maybe Colombia. Maybe China. Maybe Portland.
