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Infinite Country by Patricia Engel | Thoughts

   Published : 2021   ||    Format : print   ||    Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆   What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the...

The Moving Edition | This Week's Five

That's right - this is the moving edition. I can finally talk about our big secret and how I'm dealing with it.

1. A new job

We are moving between jobs, homes, and cities. Towards the end of last year, the husband accepted a job in Cincinnati, which was a huge step up for him. For a while, I have been looking for a job change but I have been dragging my feet on that. When the husband got this opportunity, I started looking as well and found one relatively soon. I won't be joining until two weeks later, mainly because of time-consuming paperwork but time has certainly gone by very quickly since I got the offer. I'm both excited and sad. I've been itching to announce this for the past one month but I had to wait until I told my company. I've been with my current company and in Lynchburg for almost 7 years, and am going to sorely miss my colleagues and this place. But, I know this is the right move for us and for our family. It's going to be rough for some time, while I transition and get used to my new job, but I can't wait for things to quiet down, because you know, I'm big on routines and predictability.


2. Oh, the things we own

With that said, guess what we have been so busy with for more than a month? Yup, packing. I am in shock that we have so much stuff. It was easier to ignore it all when they were sitting in shelves or cabinets or hanging on the walls. But, taking each item, packing it, and putting it into a box has me wondering how we ended with so many "essentials". It's ridiculous. We have been packing a little everyday to avoid having to do many sleepless nights closer to the d-day. We still have so much to do, but I am beginning to see the finish line. Telling my office yesterday about my move has made it mentally easier to actually speed things up. Somehow, the idea of telling my colleagues has been this big block that I couldn't look past. And now that it is done, it's made it easy to take care of what's left.


3. A new home

We are lucky to already have a buyer for our house. Although we won't be closing just yet, it's the biggest hurdle crossed. We are moving into an apartment for now - a huge downsizing for us but we will be looking for a house once we are somewhat settled. In other words, I have been spending a lot of time poring through Zillow and MLS, and ogling at beautifully decorated houses priced above my budget. I mean, some of these houses have wall to wall bookshelves that are built into the house. It is hard to stop wanting that house once I see that. Honestly, this is just my way of dealing with the big change that is coming. I am still sometimes in denial that in two weeks, we will be in a new home.


4. African American reading

I have been reading quite a bit this month. Two books finished (which is a lot for me) and three books in progress (which is too much for me). Somehow, I have been in the middle of several African and African American books this month. Totally unplanned but all the more welcome because one thing that has always bothered me is that I have to consciously look for diverse books. I'm glad to see more diverse books slowly making their way into the mainstream. Of course, the books I'm reading are among the more popular ones in their categories so there is still a lot of work to do, but it's a step in the right direction. I still have a post drafted on my current reads that I need to finish writing - someday this month, I'll get there.


5. When busy, open Facebook

After years of giving Facebook the cold shoulder, I downloaded the app on to my phone this week. Yes, I am literally embarrassed to admit that but Facebook's groups (on topics I care about) are a wonderful escape when I need to relax. Right now some of those topics are Instant Pot (what a magical device!), Home decor (hey, I do want some ideas on decorating my potential next home), Minimalism (because, you know, see #2 above), and Montessori (I am hoping to get Shreya started in such a school in a few months). Of course, political stuff is always on my feed and last night, I got sucked into one such wormhole but for the most part, I limit my news to news channels and Twitter.


So that's my life for a few weeks so far. What's happening at your end?

Comments

Tia Wheeler said…
Thanks for a great readd