With night coming on, good lodgings we did find.

[teenybuffalo]

Remember I said I would look for a house share or get an apartment with somebody?  Well, the search is on.  I've been skimming Craigslist for promising ads.  There is an encouragingly high number of new ads placed daily for house-shares and room rentals in this area; at least every couple of days there's a new ad for a space available in the area

Comments

Yes, Keep Looking

[negothick]

Is that house you visited convenient to bus lines? It sounds like too much of a commitment for you--too much culture shock at once. And I admit that I was worried about October as well.
Don't jump into anything. You can always pay the money back, after all--you don't HAVE to spend it right away.

Re: Yes, Keep Looking

[teenybuffalo]

It's right on the main bus line, as far as that goes. I'm pretty sure that I can't afford it, though I'll have to do my math in the morning and figure out exactly how much it would cost me per month to live there. But that simplifies matters for the moment.

The search goes on. I really wanted to be set up in my own place by Oct. 1st, but one of the things I've been learning lately is that everything major always takes longer than you thought it would.

[teenybuffalo]

Thanks. I was feeling sorta-kinda obligated to go through with it. Fortunately, it'll be pretty easy to back out; they already know that I'm not sure if I can afford to live there.

[asakiyume]

Glad to see that the thing I feel like saying is what other people are saying. Take your time. You want to feel totally comfortable--or at least, you want any discomforts you might have to put up with to be inconsequential ones that you don't care about.

[teenybuffalo]

Thanks. I can probably do better than this place. And even if I can't, I can definitely do about the same. Then I'll have looked around a little, and I'll be well aware of my options.

[teenybuffalo]

No, "stuck living here forever" isn't based on anything rational. I just meant that it felt the way I feel when I'm afraid that going out to dinner with a guy means that I'll then have to spend the rest of my life with him. I'm getting over that, and I can get past this.

might as well announce your intentions soon

Yeah, I've been trying not to think about that part. I'd been hoping to have something definitely lined up before I made the announcement. Really, I was afraid they could make me change my mind by arguing with me. When I was younger, they actually did do that, and I let them. These days, though, I am a great big woman who doesn't change her mind because her parents tell her to. I don't think they could dissuade me by any means.

Aaaand... it's the right thing to do, to give them fair and calm warning and explain what I intend to do. Perhaps lay out a suggested plan for the near future. And the more I do the right thing, the more I'll be able to refrain from blaming myself if this becomes messy.

[teenybuffalo]

They will want to help, won't they. First they'll listen to my plans with stony faces, then they'll say, "Hey, here's an idea. Why don't you just... [X unbearable plan for the next ten months]? What's wrong with that?"

Oh well, I will just face it when it happens. I am determined to be Atomic Super Zoom, not Other Leading Brand. I will grit my teeth and be as honest as is necessary for good manners and trust, and if they meet me halfway, that will be excellent. If not, I'll deal.

[teenybuffalo]

Yes. Good call. I was actually talking about this the other weekend with a friend who goes to Smith. She plans to join Zipcar herself, so she was telling me about it--apparently there's a yearly membership charge in the $55 range, a small surcharge for a membership card, and then they charge you by an hourly car-use rate or by the full day. Frankly, even with all the various charges, it would probably be more reasonable than taking the bus, in some situations. There are Zipcars that live in one of the Smith parking garages, I've seen 'em. This is definitely an option.