You shouldn't worry about things you can't influence...

A while ago, I decided not to worry about things I can't influence. Easier said than done. I thought I was doing pretty well. At least better than I had in the past. It's not that I didn't worry at all...I'd go through these phases of panicking, but then I'd tell myself that there really was no point in worrying and that I'd just have to wait and see...and then make the best out of the situation...and I was able to stop panicking and get back to enjoying life.
I was tested quite a bit right before I returned to the US. I just always get nervous when I have to go through immigrations and this time, there were just a few things that I wasn't sure about and I was worried that for various reasons, I may be denied entry into the country. I managed to not worry too much until the night before my flight. That night, I was plagued with nightmares - I tried "not to worry about things I couldn't influence" but how do you influence your thoughts while you're sleeping???
I did alright on the flight for the most part, except the last hour really during which I couldn't sleep, eat, read, or do anything than sit there and worry.

And then I made it through immigrations alright. I had THE nicest immigration worker I've ever met. Usually they seem grumpy, but this one actually smiled and asked some nice questions and we had a fun little chat while he looked over my immigration documents.

I was back in the country *relieved sigh* and thought now everything should be smooth sailing.

Hmmm, not so much. Apparently there may be a problem with me being in the country - in H1B status and in between jobs - and I may have to leave and wait outside of the US until my H1B transfer is approved. They're still looking into it - so please keep your fingers crossed for me that there'll be some way around. After all, leaving the country is easier said than done. That would mean booking a flight last minute, which could cost me up to $1,500. And how do you book a return flight when you don't know what date you'll be able to return? After all, once I've left the US, I wouldn't just have to wait to get the approved H1B but would also have to apply for a new entry visa then, which can also take several weeks. And whenever you ask immigration how long a certain process takes, you just get a vague answer and they basically tell you to wait and see.

I don't know who wrote those immigration laws and I'm sure there's some reason behind all the madness, but they are really anything but "user-friendly."
So you shouldn't resign your job until the H1B transfer to your new employer has been approved? But how do you do that when your current employer asks you to tell them whether or not you're returning for the following academic year in January (and asks you if it's a no that you turn in a resignation letter immediately)?

I wish I'd studied law, so I could go into immigration law and make some drastic changes. Or even just so I understood the whole process better...and also so I knew if my employer is doing something that isn't right. I've recently been telling friends stories about my past institution and one of the most frequent response has been, "Is that even legal?" Oh, if I only knew.... But then again, even if it's illegal, what do you do? You could confront your employer; you could try to get a lawyer and sue them...but then what kind of climate would you be working in after all that (even if you were right) and what kind of job recommendations will you get from there when you decide to leave? Life is really a lot more complicated than I thought when I was 18 and I was excited to be an "adult."

But enough worrying....

I had another random thought today...How do we effectively prepare our staff members to work with a different supervisor? I went through that a year ago when I left my old institution and left RAs who had worked one or two years with me and had overall enjoyed working for me. They were used to my style. They were comfortable with me. We'd talked a lot about change for those two years, but talking about change and going through change such as getting a new supervisor with a different style are two completely different things. And as the leaving supervisor, you can talk with your staff about these changes; you can encourage them to be open-minded, to give new ideas a try, but in the end they're the ones who have to deal with that.
I talked with one of my RAs from this year and once again I became worried about how he'll be dealing with the transition. It's never easy.

I guess all I can do is continue to stay in touch with these RAs - like I did last year - serve as a sounding board but continue to encourage them to be open-minded and to make the most of their experience.