Uncertainty

I hate uncertainty. I am the sort of person who likes knowing exactly what lies ahead, exactly what step to take to achieve her next goal... and for the past 2 1/2 years, I have been able to do just that.

Not so much anymore.

Here's what I'm certain about:

• My contract at my current job will end in March.
  
  
• I will defend my thesis and earn my MA in June.
  
  
• I will be moving out of my apartment in June.

Here's what I'm not certain about:

• Whether or not I'll keep working at my current job past March (the person I'm replacing has not been straightforward about when she's coming back -- the date has already been pushed back once, and it looks like it may get pushed back again).
  
  
• Whether or not I'll find a permanent job that will issue me a work permit before my student permit runs out.
  
  
• Where I will move to when I have to leave my apartment in June.

Here's what I'm bound and determined to have happen:

• No matter what I have to do, I will be in Switzerland (and preferably Geneva) after my current permit expires in September 2009.

I'm handling this better than expected, actually, especially given that I have no family on this continent that I can rely on and given that most of my friends are more or less long-term out of town. I've got two plans in mind:

• Plan A: Find a permanent, full-time job that will issue me a work permit. (Advantages: stability! At last! Plus the satisfaction of knowing, for the first time ever, that I'm completely self-sufficient and can provide for myself on my own. That would be nice.)
  
  
• Plan B: Enroll for a BA in Arabic language, literature and civilization, enroll in Judaism classes at a local synagogue, and find a part-time job that will pay for 3 more years of studies. (Advantages: Arabic is a great language to add to my combination both for international organization translation work and for humanitarian work. Learning about the history of the Arab people and about the Coran will give me a better understanding of the situation in the Middle East, as will learning about the history and religion of the Jewish people -- a definite advantage if I decide I'd like to do humanitarian work. Disadvantages: It's really hard to find a part-time job that can accommodate the very irregular schedule that I would have as a student! Getting CELTA certification over the summer and teaching English would probably be my best option.)

Now, here's what's weird. Even if Plan A works out as early as tomorrow, I probably won't have enough time to find a place to live before I have to move out of my apartment in June. And let's face it -- Plan A isn't going to work out tomorrow. Or the day after that. It probably won't work out before my current job is up. So I actually have to put Plan B into motion first in order to be able to register for student housing in time to be guaranteed a place to live. I've gotten everything I need together (or, at least, everything I think I need!) and will be going to register for Arabic and student housing tomorrow. That way, I can drop Arabic and move out of student housing and into my own place if I find a job without being stuck between a rock and a hard place because I didn't find a job and waited too late to register for classes and housing to be accepted.

Keep y'all's fingers crossed (and thumbs held) for me!