Home Sweet...Home?
Well, I survived exams and then moved on to packing up my entire dorm into boxes. Yes, that's about as much fun as it sounds. I had a good time with my mom while she was here, shopping like madwomen at IKEA and making sure I would last until Liz got back from Poland (note regarding IKEA: they're making me wait 3-4 weeks for my bed. Fuckers).
As for the place itself, it really can't be beat. It's old without being decrepit, the landlady's apparently really nice, the rent is pretty damn sweet ($872/month for a 5 1/2), and it comes with a cute guinea pig and a hamster that apparently plots world domination as she runs on her wheel. Spike seems to be getting used to me, although the little bugger pissed on my lap this evening. I really can't be mad at him for it, as he'd been out of his cage for a while playing with Maia and Liz. Still, I'm not really thrilled with having my clothes smelling like eau de guinea pig whizz. Ugh.
One thing that's going to take a fair bit of getting used to is all the weird noises around here. When anybody walks across their floor above us, it sounds like they're actually in the apartment, so the first couple of nights I could have sworn somebody had broken in. Combined with the continuous stomping up and down the stairs outside our door, the noises that the animals make in their respective cages, and the general nervousness of being on my own in a strange place...let's just say I really haven't been sleeping much.
Class has been going well so far. My prof has all the enthusiasm of a kindergarten teacher without being as annoying or heavily medicated as one, which rocks. Andra, Jenny, Anneta and a girl from my political theory and international relations class are all there as well, so at least I'm not completely on my own. The language labs are going to take a fair bit of getting used to. My spoken French is bad enough without having to bark coherant answers into a microphone while being surrounded with a bunch of other people in an otherwise quiet computer lab.
I can't wait for Liz to get back. It will be nice to actually live with someone for a change, plus we can get started on all those grand redecorating ideas she has. As for the time being, I'm just working on getting this apartment reeking of clove cigarettes like it should.
Tomorrow, I cook. Egads.