I Quit!

I quit my job today. I was incredibly nervous, but all for nothing. My boss was uncharacteristically generous, though understandably stunned. My project lead (and ex-mentor) was a bit more upset... but my boss stood up for me. I will be working the full 2 weeks, and they are trying to talk me into staying longer. My whole group, including my boss, went out for lunch, had a couple beers and some good laughs. This is the way it should be when you quit a job. Not at all what I expected, but definitely a welcome development.

Now I'm going to go out and celebrate. Break out the champagne, baby!

Thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged me through this whole quitting process. It definitely helped!

A new laptop

I've had my laptop for 4 years, and while its served me well, I think its time for a fresh start. Here's the issue: should I get a laptop in the UK, or one here in the states?

Buying a laptop in the UK
Pros:

• Already configured for UK standards (not that this is so hard to do on any laptop...it would just be nice)
• Won't have to worry about power conversion
• Won't have to lug it there with me and the other 150 lbs of luggage I'll be bringing
• Won't have to worry about bringing a brand new computer through customs (supposedly that sort of thing can lead to the customs people giving you problems. Seems a little silly though)

Cons:

• $300 more expensive than computer bought in the US
• What will I do with it in a year?
• Might be computer-less for a couple weeks in the UK, while waiting for it to be shipped

Another question that I can't seem to find an answer to: if I have a computer configured to American standards, would I just need to buy a UK power supply and be able to plug it into my computer? i.e. is the power input on all PCs the exact same, and the only difference is the power supply? I'm confused. Help!

Scottish: An Accent or A Language?

I spoke on the phone with my landlord in Scotland for the first time today, to ask what the exact address of my apartment would be. We talked for about 5 minutes total, or I should say, she talked for 5 minutes and I periodically said "uh huh" or "excuse me?". I probably only understood 20% of what she said, and for a minute or so in the middle, I think she might have been speaking a whole other language. I'm not kidding even a little. She must have thought that I was retarded, because just to get the address correct (the only reason I called), I had to have her repeat it 3 times. I was so embarrassed by the end of the conversation that I started just saying "uh huh" to everything. I might have been agreeing to pay double rent, or telling her that, yes, in fact I have been convicted of a felony. Who knows what she was asking.

Now I'm fairly concerned that even though I speak English, I don't speak Scottish, or whatever it was that she was speaking. I had always assumed that it would be the exact same language except with a sexy accent and cute little terms for things (jumpers, knickers, neeps and tatties), but now I'm starting to think I was wrong. Am I going to a country where I won't understand 80% of what people say to me? I'm going to need ESL classes when I get there...

Making some progress

After a couple months of occasional searching for cheap airfare, I finally found a flight to Edinburgh. Not exactly cheap -- $350 for a one-way ticket -- but it could be worse. I found it on airfare.com, through sidestep.com, both of which I would recommend. I was a little uneasy about booking the ticket since it wouldn't tell me ahead of time what airline it was through. It just said "Major Carrier". Well, that's not that specific, and I didn't want to end up flying Bootleg Airlines International or something. So after a little Google-sleuthing, I figured out that it was through Continental. Reassured, I booked the ticket. (The exact same flight on Continental's website was listed as $950, and it had a "low fare guaranteed" icon next to it. Such lies!)

I've started the whole visa process, and that is going well so far. I renewed my driver's license (something I've been avoiding for years now. How can they get away with charging $90 for an out-of-state license conversion??). I visited the doctor, eye doctor, and dentist, before my insurance runs out. I got a clean bill of health on all accounts, and stocked up on contact lenses and prescriptions.

I also stocked up on passport photos. I read somewhere (I can't remember where) that you should get a whole bunch -- more than you would think -- before you leave. So I got, uh, 20. It took forever for them all to print out, and the Kinkos employee who was printing them kept looking at me like I was crazy. In hindsight, I may have gone a little overboard. In my defense though, I already know that I need 2 for the visa, 2 for police registration, and at least one for a student ID. There will probably be more...though perhaps not 15 more. Ah well...I can hand them out to my new friends to remember me by...or something...

And I revised my hiking adventure plans for the summer. I decided I needed something a little more flab-friendly...no steep grades or huge mountains...no ridiculous daily mileage. I still wanted something that would be in the middle of nowhere (as I have this overwhelming desire to escape from civilization temporarily), and that would be beautiful. I think I've found it: The Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks. It should take about 15 days to complete (its about 120 miles from end to end). Hurray!

2 weeks until I quit my job. I'm getting nervous...

Memorial Day Weekend Camping Trip

We went camping this past weekend in the White Mountains, and had a really great time. Our friends Jason and Mairead (and their friends, Kate and Adam) introduced us to the wonderful (and difficult!) world of backpacking...and I rethought my ambition of taking a 3 week backpacking trip through New Hampshire this summer...I'm just not that buff.

Anyway, here are some pictures.
Franco discovered dog paradise: the peanut butter tree.

View from Roger's Ledge:

Unknown Pond, where we camped both nights. In the background is The Horn, which we hiked to on Sunday.

What a pampered pup (and what a sucker of a doggie-daddy)

The rest of the gang:

Cassie was a real trooper. She hiked all 14 miles without complaining (well, as far as we know. We don't actually speak Dog)

View from The Horn:

Cassie seeking refuge in Kate's armpit: