Back from the Trip, Meeting with Dean

Yesterday afternoon we drove back from Boston after dropping my brother off at the airport. I think for all of us the visit to Gloucester was the highlight of the trip. From our rooms we saw the swimming pool, then the road and then the sea. We stayed at a hotel called Bass Rocks Inn. Well worth the extra cost of a more run of the mill location. Met with my Dean this morning for an "exit interview". Mainly he wanted to ask me about what I thought about the future of our department and what can be done about it. But we also talked about my options. A terminal sabbatical is unprecedented and seems that the chances of getting the university to give it are low. They won't care if I publish some stuff in their name based on that period according to him. We might try to sell it on the basis of student advising. They don't pay out the unused sabbatical as a termination payment either. So I had offered to teach in the Fall based on receiving the sabbatical in the Spring. The Dean started the interview by congratulating me! And he certainly didn't seem desperate to get me to stay to teach the classes. So I think we are deciding that I quit as soon as possible and Snork Maiden and I move together to Canberra in late September. I will offer to continue advising grad students long-distance. Seems she will get a 457 visa which is similar to the US H1-B - a long-stay temporary business visa. We have been scouring the web for info. It clearly does not preclude applying for permanent residence/citizenship so that's good. May take around 6 weeks for the process to complete. In the worst case scenario I could travel to Canberra first and start preparing things for her arrival. Anyway, she won't be covered by public healthcare (Medicare) so we'll need private health insurance for her - relative to the US it's cheap. Her foreign source income isn't taxed by the Australian government. So am thinking about opening a trading account in her name in the US.

I have often said that I would feel happier quitting my job than the day I got tenure when I didn't feel happy at all (relieved that I wasn't fired). Now I still feel somewhat apprehensive of all the work and changes ahead. Maybe when we are finally settled in Canberra will be the time to celebrate?