Breaking News: Connecticut!

I break my long silence on the blogosphere to share amazing news: in late August, I will be leaving New York City and moving a few hours northeast to New Haven, Connecticut! No, I'm not starting grad school at Yale (not yet, anyway...!); I have accepted a spot in the first class of interns at Saint Hilda's House, a brand new Episcopal Service Corps program co-sponsored by Christ Church, New Haven and Berkeley-Yale Divinity School. I could ramble on forever about how psyched I am, but it's probably far more efficient just to point you toward their gorgeous website.

Here's the short version: St. Hilda's is like a super-Episcopalian version of the program I'm doing right now. The basic structure is the same: community living and a 10 month-long stint at a local social service agency (I don't know yet where exactly they'll put me, but the options sound very intriguing!). The difference is that it's a lot more intentionally churchy - it's designed for people who are discerning vocations within the Church, corporate prayer is very much emphasized, and our work schedules are slightly shortened so that we can participate in what looks like a truly ingenious theological curriculum. Yeah, I know: you probably didn't think my life could get any churchier. Allow me to prove you wrong :)

Most of my excitement stems from the sheer relief of having guaranteed housing and employment for another year in this terrible economy. But another huge part of it comes from knowing that my time in New York City has a definite end date. As much as I enjoy certain aspects of New York, and as much as I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to have spent 12 months here, the reality that has become more and more apparent over the course of my time in Manhattan is that I do not want to live here forever. In fact, I am rather looking forward to getting out of here in August. Manhattan may be cool and exciting on the rare days when I'm well-rested and have some free time, but on the far more frequent days when I'm sleep-deprived, rushed, or annoyed, it is crazy and exhausting. While I have no illusions about New Haven being as idyllic as the name suggests (well, okay - maybe a few illusions...), I am pretty stoked about living in a place where there are no rush-hour subway stampedes (can you tell how much I'm not looking forward to my Friday commute home?).

So, esteemed readers! Rejoice in the good news along with me, and keep following for further exciting updates about life in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut!