Today, I had to start thinking about something that I haven't had to worry about in quite a long time. With the end of the spring semester quickly approaching, it occurred to me that I was going to have to find a job to keep myself occupied and supported for the summer months until the next round of fellowship money kicks in when Fall classes start. It dawned on me that I haven't had to worry about looking around for a job for about two years now. The job I worked at two years lasted until I left Florida to start graduate school, and then of course I've been in school since last August. Before I left my last job, the jobs have just fallen into my lap, so the idea of actually going out and searching for employment in a town that I still don't know all that well is a little bit intimidating. I suppose that in all honesty, I don't really need a job for the summer, since I've been extremely careful about saving my fellowship money, but I really am going to need to get out of the house so I don't go crazy. I do have three little semi-part time jobs that I do already, and I'll keep those over the summer, but they are the kinds of jobs that pay well but don't take up too much of my time. I have a feeling that whatever little job I do find for the summer months to keep me occupied and out of the house is going to be much the opposite of the little jobs that I already have. I'm sure that it will be the case that I will be working a lot of hours for not so much money...but such is the case with summer time jobs.

More important than worrying about what kind of job that I will end up with is what I will be doing with my summer in the time that I'm not working. Well, I'll still be working, but just on my own academic bricabrac. I have high hopes for what I can get accomplished this summer in terms of my academic pursuits. As always, I'll have my nose stuck in books and journals for the majority of the time. I also have some preliminary research ideas that I've been planning on exploring a little bit more over the summer months. On top of these things, I have taken on the task of tackling another new African language this summer, in hopes of expanding my horizons and possibilities for research in several other countries in west Africa. In the midst of all this, I'll also be heading back to the old homestead up in central New York to participate in my brother's wedding and my best friend's wedding towards the end of summer. It may sound like a lot of things to do, but if I don't keep myself busy, I'll end up being an unhappy and lazy camper.

So for the rest of you Christian students out there...what do you do to occupy yourselves for the summer months. My guess is that you're going to embarking on the same task that I'm just starting today and looking for a summer job, unless of course you are extra responsible and already have a job that you keep during the rest of the school year. I'm actually wondering if that will end up being the case for me after this summer has ended. If I end up being able to keep my job throughout the school year, then next summer it will be all that much easier to just step into working. It's also a great thing to have over the long school breaks like Christmas or Thanksgiving when I would otherwise just sit at home and watch marathons and re-runs of shows that I've likely seen a bunch of times before. I know that a lot of students, depending on the particular field that you happen to be studying end up going off somewhere for summer programs or camps elsewhere around the country. My roommate in particular is a graduate student in music, and he'll be heading off over towards the east coast to teach and play at a summer music camp. Still other students...the luckiest of the bunch...end up taking off to go vacation and/or study overseas for the summer months. I hope to join this lucky club next summer when I head off to do some field work in Africa for a couple of months. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed on that one and of course ask God to smile down on the prospect of that trip. Well, wish me luck on my job search...I'll keep you up on the progress!