Member-only story
My life in a nutshell
You Don’t Always Get What You Want
God gave me what I needed
When I moved from the East Coast of the United States to the Midwest, I entered an unfamiliar world. I had traveled to more than 25 countries and lived overseas for two years, yet I felt unsettled and out of place in my own country. Anywhere else but here, I thought.
My world had turned upside down. I was working full-time as a writer for an international organization. It was a dream job, and I should have been happy. Instead, I resented everything about our situation.
My Ph.D. husband, a former professor, had been denied tenure, and after an extensive job search, we agreed that I should also begin applying for jobs.
I had no qualms about our decision. I assumed Doug was more employable than I was, so I was shocked when a well-respected worldwide association offered me a job as a public relations writer.
Doug and I switched places.
He enjoyed staying home with our two small children, and I became the reluctant breadwinner. Nothing was the way I had expected.
