Whither Turtar?

I'm realizing that this is my second "where did I go?" post in a row. Well, the last months have been pretty rough. I finished my PhD last summer, and I've been working as a visiting instructor at a major university in the Rocky Mountains. In case you're wondering, "visiting" really means "replacement faculty, so there's not really a chance we'll keep you beyond the limit of your contract." In other words, you are employed by a history department, but you don't really "belong" there. You don't get the research or travel budget regular employees get, and they stick you with whatever courses they want, rather than letting you choose what you will teach. Then they boot you to the curb. And we thank them for it because really, it was better than nothing. I'm in a job market where there are about 30 regular tenure-track jobs per year, and some of them have upwards of 200 applicants. Unless you do something to really stand out, then you won't get a job.

So I'm starting to panic a little bit that I don't have a job lined up for next fall yet. I have a young family, and no matter what, I need to get something with benefits, even if that means stepping out of my chosen profession for a year or so. Now, all of this is build-up for something that may not have an actual payoff. Anyway, in this state, I got word yesterday that my dissertation has been nominated for a prize. Like I said, everything that makes you stand out is a great thing. I don't think it will have much of an impact on my CV, but hey, it's something. Who knows? Maybe I'll even win the prize.