Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, It's Back to Work I Go

It's finally official.  In just over one month, I'll be returning to full-time work again after twenty months at home with Henley.  Queens University of Charlotte has offered me an Assistant Professor of Mathematics position (non-tenure track), and I have accepted their offer.

I have very mixed emotions about returning to work.  I'm very grateful to Queens for the opportunity to return to academia after taking so much time off, and I'm excited to be teaching again.  Since my position is non-tenure track, I'll almost exclusively be teaching introductory mathematics and statistics courses and will have the luxury of doing research when I have time instead of feeling required to find time to do research.  I feel very blessed to receive a full-time offer in an economy where so many still struggle to find employment.  Plus, I'll be working once again with Jay, which will be very nice.

Of course, I'm not looking forward to being away from Henley so much.  Since her birth, she and I have never been apart for more than three of her waking hours at a time (and that has only happened on two or three occasions).  Thus, we've grown quite attached to each other and very fond of spending time together.  It will be a big transition for both of us, and I'm pretty sure it will take me much longer than her to adjust to all the changes coming soon.  After extensive research and visiting of childcare facilities, we recently enrolled Henley in a Montessori school nearby.  She's excited about starting school this fall and getting to be around girls and boys her age, and I think/hope she will really enjoy being there.

I recall talking with one of my colleagues while at a conference a few years ago about having children.  At the time, Jay and I were still not completely sure that we were going to try to have a child; however, we had been giving it lots of thought.  During my conversation with my colleague, I mentioned that I was fairly certain that Jay and I would not both be able to have tenure-track jobs while trying to take care of a young child.  I just didn't feel like I would be able to manage everything as well as I would want if I tried to do it all, and I know now that my feeling at that time was right.  Last fall, I was not ready to return to work (even part-time).  This fall, I realize that it is time to return.  I also realize that I'm a very lucky girl to have been able to stay at home with my precious daughter for so long and then return to the profession of teaching in a position that will continue to afford me quality time with my family.