...with the city of Seattle!
Seriously, I love this place. My neighborhood, Capitol Hill, is full of coffee shops, restaurants, and brownstones. And it has a great community feel to it. It's only a 3 minute walk to downtown, and I can see the Space Needle from my street!
Everything is so close, and I love how independant I am here even without a car! Today alone, I had coffee at Starbucks, went to the grocery store (even nicer than Whole Foods!), got sushi for lunch, and walked to the Pike Place Market and bought some fresh fruits and vegetables. The fish mongers were tossing fish around to each other just like in the FISH! video!
There are cherry trees in bloom all over the city, and I even got hit on at the T Mobile store! (I somehow lost both of my cell phone chargers in the move, so I had to buy a new one.) And it's such an international city: everywhere I went, I could here people speaking different languages, and there are restaurants of every kind all over. (including a sushi place that is dangerously close to my apartment haha)
I feel like a kid in a candy shop! I only wish I had a few more days to relax and explore before I have to start working.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
New Apartment!
I'm officially a Seattle resident!!!
I arrived in Seattle Thursday night and my landlord picked me up from the airport and took me to my new apartment. After traveling all day, I was anxious to see my new place and get some sleep before all the craziness started the next day.
On first impression, I was a little dissapointed. Having lived for the past year and a half rent free in a huge three bedroom apartment, I knew I would be dramatically downsizing. My landlord estimated that the apartment is about 500 sq feet, which is pretty small, but when I actually measured it that night, I found that it is actually only 350 sq feet, which is super small! Other than the size, the apartment seemed pretty nice: there is nice molding, lots of windows (and a view of a courtyard), hardwood floors throughout, and good lighting. I was pretty pleased, and I felt like the apartment definately had a lot of potential. The only other downsides that I saw were that the kitchen countertops were a mauve color, and the shower has a decorative portrait of the Pacific Northwest printed on it:
I arrived in Seattle Thursday night and my landlord picked me up from the airport and took me to my new apartment. After traveling all day, I was anxious to see my new place and get some sleep before all the craziness started the next day.
On first impression, I was a little dissapointed. Having lived for the past year and a half rent free in a huge three bedroom apartment, I knew I would be dramatically downsizing. My landlord estimated that the apartment is about 500 sq feet, which is pretty small, but when I actually measured it that night, I found that it is actually only 350 sq feet, which is super small! Other than the size, the apartment seemed pretty nice: there is nice molding, lots of windows (and a view of a courtyard), hardwood floors throughout, and good lighting. I was pretty pleased, and I felt like the apartment definately had a lot of potential. The only other downsides that I saw were that the kitchen countertops were a mauve color, and the shower has a decorative portrait of the Pacific Northwest printed on it:
The next day was a busy one! The cable guy came to hook up my cable, internet, and DVR in the morning. Then, the FedEx guy came and delivered all 23 of my moving boxes. Shortly after that, the UPS guy came and delivered my new TV. And just a few minutes after that, the IKEA delivery guys came and delivered all of my new furniture. Needless to say, there were boxes everywhere and I could barely even walk in my apartment haha.
I spent the rest of the day and Saturday unpacking and putting my new furniture together. And I am spent!!! Since the apartment is so open and there isn't much storage space, I had to put a lot of thought into where to put things (don't look under my bed haha!). But, after two and a half days of hard work, my apartment is finally ready. I'm not allowed to paint, but I still managed to give the apartment the clean, calm, asian/zen, peaceful feel that I like. And if I do say so myself, it's looking pretty darn good!
I need to buy a trash can, and eventually I need to get a kitchen table and chairs, but that can wait. Other than that, I'm all set! I start my new job tomorrow morning and I am very excited. I'm also really nervous, but I'm sure that everything will go well.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Moving tomorrow!!!
Today was my last full day at work, and I have only one thing to say: I HATE GOODBYES!!!!
As excited as I am to be moving and starting my new job, I've made some really great friends here and I can't even begin to describe how much I am going to miss not only them, but my coworkers, my staff, and even my students. Already, I've teared up more times than I can count, and I'm not even leaving until tomorrow!
Through the difficult goodbyes though, I ended the day not with sadness or regret in my heart, but with a smile and the sense that I truly have made a difference here. All day long, and all week for that matter, students and staff have been taking me to lunch/dinner, coming to say their goodbyes, and giving me hugs, cards, and farewell gifts. One of my coworkers even baked a HUGE (and delicious) cake for me today. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it makes me feel good inside to know that so many people care about me and want to wish me well.
So with only a few goodbyes to go, I can honestly say that I have nothing but excitement for my move tomorrow. Not only that, I just can't even begin to put into words how good it feels to have everything completely wrapped up at work and to know that I will never again have to be on-call or woken up in the middle of the night for work! I'm just so happy.
So, wish me luck tomorrow. If all goes according to plan, I'll be able to post again on Friday evening in my new (and furnished) apartment while watching my new tv on my new cable (or my DVR!!!!) while unpacking all of my boxes. Keep your fingers crossed! Seattle, here I come!
As excited as I am to be moving and starting my new job, I've made some really great friends here and I can't even begin to describe how much I am going to miss not only them, but my coworkers, my staff, and even my students. Already, I've teared up more times than I can count, and I'm not even leaving until tomorrow!
Through the difficult goodbyes though, I ended the day not with sadness or regret in my heart, but with a smile and the sense that I truly have made a difference here. All day long, and all week for that matter, students and staff have been taking me to lunch/dinner, coming to say their goodbyes, and giving me hugs, cards, and farewell gifts. One of my coworkers even baked a HUGE (and delicious) cake for me today. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it makes me feel good inside to know that so many people care about me and want to wish me well.
So with only a few goodbyes to go, I can honestly say that I have nothing but excitement for my move tomorrow. Not only that, I just can't even begin to put into words how good it feels to have everything completely wrapped up at work and to know that I will never again have to be on-call or woken up in the middle of the night for work! I'm just so happy.
So, wish me luck tomorrow. If all goes according to plan, I'll be able to post again on Friday evening in my new (and furnished) apartment while watching my new tv on my new cable (or my DVR!!!!) while unpacking all of my boxes. Keep your fingers crossed! Seattle, here I come!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Time flies!
I can’t believe how quickly the past few weeks have flown by! It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in my office complaining about how badly my job search was going. Now, I’m sitting in my empty apartment getting ready to leave Worcester forever and move to Seattle on Thursday! Where did all the time go????
Usually I’m such an introspective and thoughtful person; a real processor. But things have just happened so quickly that I haven’t really even had time to do that. I’ve just been too busy to feel sad or anxious or nervous or excited. I’ve just been focused on crossing things off my huge to-do list before I leave.
Now that the list is done though, and the goodbyes have started, I’m definitely starting to feel it. Today was my last day in one of my two offices, and it was really sad leaving and knowing that I’m never going back. As bad as that was, I still have many more goodbyes coming and I’m totally dreading them all. It’s a strange feeling actually: on one hand, I wish I could just get it over with. But on the other hand, I wish that these next two days would last so much longer.
Either way, I’m getting incredibly excited to move into my new place, get settled, and start my new job on Monday.
Usually I’m such an introspective and thoughtful person; a real processor. But things have just happened so quickly that I haven’t really even had time to do that. I’ve just been too busy to feel sad or anxious or nervous or excited. I’ve just been focused on crossing things off my huge to-do list before I leave.
Now that the list is done though, and the goodbyes have started, I’m definitely starting to feel it. Today was my last day in one of my two offices, and it was really sad leaving and knowing that I’m never going back. As bad as that was, I still have many more goodbyes coming and I’m totally dreading them all. It’s a strange feeling actually: on one hand, I wish I could just get it over with. But on the other hand, I wish that these next two days would last so much longer.
Either way, I’m getting incredibly excited to move into my new place, get settled, and start my new job on Monday.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
The Turkey Is Done!
Earlier this week, I somehow found myself engaged in a discussion over whether or not it is possible to cook a turkey by putting it in a clothes dryer. How this came up in conversation, I really couldn't say. But after a quick google search online, it turns out that you can't.
Here's a funny Youtube video of someone who tried though!
Here's a funny Youtube video of someone who tried though!
New Job!
I haven’t posted a blog in quite a while, but it’s not for lack of interesting things to write about. Let’s see: In the past few months, Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and the Governor of Massachusetts all came to speak at my university, I went to Seattle, discovered a love of blood oranges, and went on a diet and have lost 5 lbs so far. But one thing in particular has dominated my time and interest this winter: my job search.
Up until this week, there wouldn’t be much to write about really. I’ve been applying for jobs since January and had a few phone interviews and one on-campus interview. But weeks passed with no prospects, and few jobs were being posted in my field: sometimes only one or less per week for the entire country. Needless to say, I was getting concerned and started to really doubt my abilities. In fact, I spent several hours last weekend coming up with a backup plan for what I would do if I didn’t get a new job before my current job ends in June.
Well, talk about timing! Just when I was about to give up hope, my supervisors let me know that someone had called them to check my references on Tuesday. Not only that, but by the end of the day, I had a job offer! And it wasn’t just any job offer, it was my top choice at a great school near downtown Seattle!
(And in a stinging dose of irony, once I received that job offer, invitations for phone interviews started streaming in. In fact, I’ve had 5 such offers since Tuesday! I guess that saying “When it rains, it pours” is true!”
Anyway, things since then have moved at light speed! I formally accepted the position on Thursday and will start my new job on April 28: just a few weeks away! Already, I’ve started packing, repainted my apartment (sigh), and found an apartment in Seattle! It’s a great little place right in the heart of the city and just a few blocks from downtown and my office. It’s a large studio in a nice brick building and comes with nice hardwood floors and a separate sleeping area and kitchen/dining area. I was hoping for a 1 bedroom, but this is pretty close and is a lot more affordable.
Even with those things done, I still have a zillion things to do to wrap up my job here, pack, and get ready to move into my new place and start my new job. The hardest thing will definitely be saying goodbye to some really good friends that I’ve made here. But, I’ve got a job, an apartment, and a one way plane ticket to my new home of Seattle, and I couldn’t be more excited!
Up until this week, there wouldn’t be much to write about really. I’ve been applying for jobs since January and had a few phone interviews and one on-campus interview. But weeks passed with no prospects, and few jobs were being posted in my field: sometimes only one or less per week for the entire country. Needless to say, I was getting concerned and started to really doubt my abilities. In fact, I spent several hours last weekend coming up with a backup plan for what I would do if I didn’t get a new job before my current job ends in June.
Well, talk about timing! Just when I was about to give up hope, my supervisors let me know that someone had called them to check my references on Tuesday. Not only that, but by the end of the day, I had a job offer! And it wasn’t just any job offer, it was my top choice at a great school near downtown Seattle!
(And in a stinging dose of irony, once I received that job offer, invitations for phone interviews started streaming in. In fact, I’ve had 5 such offers since Tuesday! I guess that saying “When it rains, it pours” is true!”
Anyway, things since then have moved at light speed! I formally accepted the position on Thursday and will start my new job on April 28: just a few weeks away! Already, I’ve started packing, repainted my apartment (sigh), and found an apartment in Seattle! It’s a great little place right in the heart of the city and just a few blocks from downtown and my office. It’s a large studio in a nice brick building and comes with nice hardwood floors and a separate sleeping area and kitchen/dining area. I was hoping for a 1 bedroom, but this is pretty close and is a lot more affordable.
Even with those things done, I still have a zillion things to do to wrap up my job here, pack, and get ready to move into my new place and start my new job. The hardest thing will definitely be saying goodbye to some really good friends that I’ve made here. But, I’ve got a job, an apartment, and a one way plane ticket to my new home of Seattle, and I couldn’t be more excited!
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