I hate to do this, but I’m going to take a couple weeks’ break from blogging.
The good news is that it’s because I got a job! Even better, it’s an awesome job! But I’m having a hard time getting my schedule arranged. Too many irons in the fire, you might say: starting a new job, starting a chavruta (and been trying two weeks to get in touch with a second chavruta!), and starting to date. Add to this that I’m due to travel out of state for a week and a half of the next three weeks, and I predict a perfect storm of schedule insanity.
To be honest, I didn’t realize how much time I spent creating content for the blog. It’s a surprising amount, even for a nerdy Type A perfectionist like myself.
When I come back, I’m planning a schedule of 3 blog posts a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 10am.
Man…my Klout score is gonna suffer. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later.
See you in a few weeks! Be well!
Good luck to all your future endeavors, and may it all be for the best.
By the way in regards to dating, would you say that one who is in their later 20's would be considered "old" for dating? and would converts (specifically girls in their later 20's) would have it harder at dating? also, would you say converts are limited in their choices of dating, such as end up dating BT's and other converts mostly and FFB's really not that much? thank you.
I think whenever you're out of work and then find a job you realize how much time you used to spend doing things that don't pay the bills 😉 But… it's better than sitting all day in front of the tv eating donuts. You've been productive!
Good luck with the new job, and the dating!
Skylar WELL done! Your informative posts will be very missed even in the short time but make that paper$ and we wish you well
Elle: But…but…but…I did the same thing for 6 months while being a full-time law student with three jobs and editing/writing for the Law Review! I should be able to do this. Ugh.
Anonymous with the dating question: You've opened quite a barrel of worms here. This conversation could go on for hours. Yes, people like me at 27 are "older singles" in the orthodox world. I think that title is bestowed around 24-25 in modern orthodox circles, 22 in more right-wing circles (generally ones where most people aren't pursuing college for those years).
Luckily(?), there are a lot of older singles now, in that late 20s range. It's quite common in most circles today and therefore less stigmatizing than it used to be. In modern orthodox circles, I think it's quite normal, particularly because so many formerly-secular people become religious (baal teshuva or convert) near the end of college and thereafter.
As for the questions about how converts do, I think it has more to do with the individual than status as a convert. Sure, everyone has at least a few bad stories, but the converts who are well-adjusted, friendly, and interesting seem to be picked up pretty quickly, from what I've seen. But many people feel compelled to convert, and many of us (myself included) have some pretty bad backgrounds. Not everyone is well-adjusted. So while some people are left behind for reasons I can't fathom, there is usually a reason when someone stays single for a really long time not by choice. That said, I think converts do much better when they rely on happenstance (hashgacha pratis) and friends to meet their beshert instead of the shadchan system. Shadchans are NOT nice to converts, as a general rule. I think it's getting better, but some places faster than others. Stereotypes still abound, but today, the stereotypes aren't as stigmatizing as they used to be. So while people will still automatically assume a convert isn't a virgin, that is unlikely to be a deal breaker (as opposed to the past where the convert would be automatically declined as a potential partner). Also, there's more fascination with converts today, and more people have at least one convert in the family. Overall, we're in a period of flux in convert relations. A middle generation, you might say.
And that's the almost-standing-on-one-foot answer I have for you.
I wish you all the best with your new job! Your blog has been very useful and informative. I hope you'll keep on giving us more insider information.
Serpil
Best of luck with your new hats. Try not to forget about us 🙂
Mazal tov on the job! As a former law student, I know how rough it is to get a job outside of OCI and third-year recruitment, so yay for you! And best of luck with finding your beshert! 😉
Mazal tov on everything! On getting the job, completing your conversion and starting to date! What an exciting time! Baruch Hashem!
My Jewish web site now links to http://CrazyJewishConvert.blogspot.com/.
Maybe you could return the favor by linking to mine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DerechEmet/
Mazal tov on your new job and many changes!
So is this a Purim posting that will coincidentally end on April Fools Day?