home again!
Well, I had quite a good trip this past week, despite driving about 20 hours and the fact that I blew a tire going about 80 mph on the highway on the way to Montreal. Fortunately, I didn't lose control of my car and managed to pull off the highway. It turns out my other rear tire was about to blow, so I pulled off at the next exit and got new tires at a (conveniently close) tire warehouse. So I was a couple hours delayed, but I made it to Montreal!
I didn't get much done the first day there. I met with my boss Jim for a long time. It was so great to see him again. Most people would probably say this job has potential to be a disaster with high-drama because Jim and I have a long history together, but I know him and myself well enough to know that it won't happen. I've known him for nearly 8 years, and we dated a bit about 6 years ago. Actually, it was rather intense, but neither of us were at good spots in our lives for anything to come of it (it's all about timing, isn't it?). And now he's married and has a little boy, so he's completely off-limits (which is completely fine since I don't think of him that way anymore). He's still my closest friend in the world, and our friendship is strong enough that I know that we'll work together really well.
Anyway, that first evening I drove around looking for apartments. Apparently in Montreal a lot of people don't list their rentals in papers or online. Instead, they just put a sign in the window or on the lawn to advertise. So I drove up and down the streets of the neighborhood in which I wanted to live and just wrote down phone numbers. I called them the next day and saw a few places, and I ended up loving the very first place I saw.
It's a great 2-bedroom that has a separate dining room which I'll turn into my office. There's an eat-in kitchen where I'll set up our table. There's a little balcony off the kitchen, where I'm sure I'll be drinking my coffee in the mornings during summer. Plus, the landlord allows both cats and dogs, so that's a real bonus. Maybe I'll take the leap and finally get a puppy. The owner is great, too. He's an old Jewish man who I could see being my grandpa (he loves me, too!). He has the lower apartment (it's a duplex), but he's hardly ever there, so I basically get the entire place to myself, including the back yard. Oh, one of the best things about the place is that it's maybe a 10 minute walk to the university, and it's *right* on a busline that takes me straight to work or to the Snowden metro station. It will make traveling downtown and to other parts of the city really easy. I miss having a great public transport system.
I also signed Sophia up for day camp at the local YMCA, so that's another thing I don't have to worry about. I'm really excited about this move. I felt so good while I was there. It's nice to be in a city again, and I know Sophia will love it there after she settles in. And now I get to focus/worry/obsess about the actual move. It's nice to know I have a place to move into, at least!
I didn't get much done the first day there. I met with my boss Jim for a long time. It was so great to see him again. Most people would probably say this job has potential to be a disaster with high-drama because Jim and I have a long history together, but I know him and myself well enough to know that it won't happen. I've known him for nearly 8 years, and we dated a bit about 6 years ago. Actually, it was rather intense, but neither of us were at good spots in our lives for anything to come of it (it's all about timing, isn't it?). And now he's married and has a little boy, so he's completely off-limits (which is completely fine since I don't think of him that way anymore). He's still my closest friend in the world, and our friendship is strong enough that I know that we'll work together really well.
Anyway, that first evening I drove around looking for apartments. Apparently in Montreal a lot of people don't list their rentals in papers or online. Instead, they just put a sign in the window or on the lawn to advertise. So I drove up and down the streets of the neighborhood in which I wanted to live and just wrote down phone numbers. I called them the next day and saw a few places, and I ended up loving the very first place I saw.
It's a great 2-bedroom that has a separate dining room which I'll turn into my office. There's an eat-in kitchen where I'll set up our table. There's a little balcony off the kitchen, where I'm sure I'll be drinking my coffee in the mornings during summer. Plus, the landlord allows both cats and dogs, so that's a real bonus. Maybe I'll take the leap and finally get a puppy. The owner is great, too. He's an old Jewish man who I could see being my grandpa (he loves me, too!). He has the lower apartment (it's a duplex), but he's hardly ever there, so I basically get the entire place to myself, including the back yard. Oh, one of the best things about the place is that it's maybe a 10 minute walk to the university, and it's *right* on a busline that takes me straight to work or to the Snowden metro station. It will make traveling downtown and to other parts of the city really easy. I miss having a great public transport system.
I also signed Sophia up for day camp at the local YMCA, so that's another thing I don't have to worry about. I'm really excited about this move. I felt so good while I was there. It's nice to be in a city again, and I know Sophia will love it there after she settles in. And now I get to focus/worry/obsess about the actual move. It's nice to know I have a place to move into, at least!