Moving day. A big day - both physically and mentally. Physically because I had two massive bags plus a crammed full backpack and a camera bag that had to resort to double duty and hold several other items when I ran out of room. Oh yeah. And I was hauling this without a car. Getting it to the plane was no big deal as my dad was a gentleman and carried it. Getting from the airport to the bus was fine, as it was right outside the door. I'm thinking "Hey this will be easy!"

Then I discovered that the bus was FULL and had many more stops (read: more people) to go. Well, I tried hard to get out of peoples way but I literally couldn't move either me or the bag because we were like sardines in a can! Also, begin no more Midwestern hospitality: no one, and I mean no one, wanted to help me get out of the way by helping with the bags or offering to move or anything. Fortunately, I was prepared for this.

The entertaining part of the bus ride came when about twenty drunk college guys got on the bus and were hooting and hollering. Then came a couple of wasted college girls who weren't quite as entertaining because I was nervous one of them was going to puke and she was right next to me and everything I owned. I was not excited about what I was going to do when my stop came as they were all in between me and the door. In the Midwest, they would all be really excited to help me get my bags down and think nothing of it but would that happen here? We will never know because they all got out at the same stop and I just followed behind them.

The T ride was unexciting and I got to the right bus stop where I waited for my bus. And waited. And waited. And waited. Fast forward one hour and twenty minutes. Then I got on the bus, which I thought was the wrong bus. Except it was the right bus. And, it had been the right bus all three times it came by... In the meantime, I did have a nice conversation with a woman who wondered if I was coming from traveling the Orient. Apparently, if you are curious enough, it is okay to stop pretending other people around you don't exist. She must not have been from around here because she actually helped me find the right bus.

Frankly, in my last trip here I discovered that people here aren't necessarily rude, they just don't get the opportunity. They know how to be polite, it just doesn't come up with strangers. If you bump into someone and automatically say sorry or excuse me, they will automatically answer but, it seems to surprise them as much as me!

Anyway, once I got on the right bus, it was only a five minute ride to the house. The new key worked fine and I let myself in. No one was there. Which I was expecting, but also kind of makes you feel like you are breaking in...

It did give me a chance to really look at things without someone around. I mean, how weird would it be if a roommate that was a stranger was talking to me while I was digging through all the cabinets in the kitchen to figure out where the pots and pans were?

So after a bit of exploration, I realized that I was hungry and had no idea what food in the house I could eat. I think most people would understand if I ate some of their bread for a sandwich since I had none of my own, especially given that nothing in the house was mine and especially if I was honest about it and maybe even offered to pay for it. But to be safe, I didn't. I didn't want to start off on the wrong foot with the roommies and I had no idea if they would freak out about it or be cool. Fortunately, I am close to restaurants so I just walked to grab something.

When I got back, I started unpacking. I was able to buy some furniture from the girl who left this room, so I had a dresser, bookcase and bed to work with. In the middle of this, roommate S came home. I was surprised because I was under the impression no one would be around. She came in with a friend who she introduced me to as the new roommate, but left an awkward pause at the end and it occurred to me that she may have forgotten my name. Awesome. I helped her out, but there's only so many times I can introduce myself to her friends so I hope she remembers. She was clearly only there to change her clothes as she had been invited to a party. She did invite me along, which surprised me. If it hadn't been a tiring moving day, I would have gone. I need to meet new people and I need to get in the habit of getting out of the house.

Anyway, that was most of the day. Was in bed by 11:30. Which doesn't mean I fell asleep. Two reasons for that. One, I need to get a fan. I'm not used to quiet sleeping. Two, and more importantly, just because I went to bed early doesn't mean the people upstairs did. In fact, they were quite noisy for about an hour, and it was not the noise I wanted. They may have been loud for longer than that, but I fell asleep. So far, sleeping in an apartment is not ideal.

Emotionally the day was okay. It was rough leaving my dad, but it hasn't really sunk in that I've moved and will be gone for a long time. We got up a little earlier than we needed and had a nice breakfast. I wish I could say it will be the last time he will be buying me a meal for awhile, but frankly, unless I get a job, that's not entirely true!

So, I guess, the apple has fallen FAR from the tree and is here to stay (for at least 13 months). Of those 13 months, I expect maybe one will have diary entries, and probably not consecutively as I never stick to a diary.