Huzzah!

Yippee!!!

*is smug* I KNEW IT.

Me, too. Now that's over, I can concentrate on having a semester. Oh, and househunting, home repair, little stuff.

DETAILS, Jonathan!

Kansas, Associate rank (up for tenure in four years; reasonable standards for retention and tenure), fellow blogger in department; near in-laws; most of department tenured and veteran, retirements imminent.

Congratulations!

Sounds like a great set-up, too. Short tenure-track, right? (Sounds short to me, anyhow.) And room in the department after retirements.

Plus which, okay, Tornado Alley, but it's pretty country. I hope the family enjoys the move!

Yeah, 4 years is shorter than usual, because they're bringing me in at the higher rank. If they hadn't, I probably would have negotiated the shorter time-to-tenure anyway, because I've already spent the last decade proving my viability....

Tornados, yeah. But our risk of volcanoes goes way down.

I'm looking forward to seasons: I expect to get a little misty-eyed when trees start turning. We're all looking forward to being near family. Max had a great time with his cousins over break, and is very enthused about being able to see them more than once every three years!

Okay, no volcanoes. :) You have a point.

IMO, Kansas's best season is autum. Especially in the eastern corridor, where you'll be living. It's glorious.

Sounds like the family is excited about the move, which is great. When are you going?

Sometime in summer, but we're not sure when. I'm thinking about a reconoiter trip in May -- check out schools, do some househunting, etc. -- then the actual move sometime in July. Some of it will depend on family: my parents are offering to come spend time getting the house ready to sell; my brother's family hasn't actually visited us in Hawai'i yet (neither have my brothers-in-law, but mine is actually trying to make it happen).

Classes begin late August. Which reminds me: they haven't yet told me what I'm teaching....