…I have obliged to fill y’all in on the nitty gritty details of how I’m doing in the “Big D.”
Move-in date was pretty smooth. Other than having to get up at the crack of dawn…wait, I didn’t sleep because I had to finish packing literally up to the last minute. So it would be more correct to say that we left the house at the crack of dawn. Of course my mom cried, Newton (my golden retriever) was devastated that we were all leaving the house when he was still too sleepy to figure out what exactly was going on, and my dad seemed pretty calm but was saddened to see that there was little that he could do to help me. All my luggage passed the weight/size requirement so I didn’t have to pay the extra fees. Thank God that Southwest still doesn’t charge anything up to two checked bags per person. Yet right before we got on the plane, one of the SW employees decided that one of my carry-ons were not kosher and said it must be checked. It always scares me to check a bag that doesn’t have proper taggage (ones with the fancy tracking barcodes). Not to mention that I was to transfer in Vegas and stop at San Antonio. Not to mention the fact that it was my garment bag with all of my suits in it – it would have been devastating to see it get lost in the midst of all of the possible baggage traffic. Alas, by the grace of God, all my bags followed me to Dallas. I rented a minivan to haul all my crap. And realized that we loaded up the wrong vehicle (long story… Alamo has a weird system, at least at the Dallas Love Field location). Re-loaded all my stuff to another van in the 100-degree, 50% humidity, pure hellish weather. Toss in the fact that the route that Google map told me conveniently forgot to mention a construction/detour and we got lost. But otherwise, pretty smooth. 🙂
As a friend of mine back in Reno mentioned, the highway system in Dallas is…whacked. When it says I-35E, that doesn’t necessary mean that you are going in the eastbound direction. If you think the Spaghetti Bowl in Reno is bad, the highways, tollways, and freeways in Dallas have oodles of noodles going EVERYWHERE! By Day-8 or -9, I decided to accept the fate and tried to befriend the extremely chaotic road system. We don’t get along all the well yet, but since I am currently vehicle-less, we don’t have to fight much.
Speaking of which… I had initially thought that I could survive on public transportation system, but the reality seems bleaker here than I had expected. It looks like I would have to buy a car ASAP. Which means I would have to work. Finding work without a car would be difficult. See the pickle that I’m in? I’m trying to look for a job on campus or a job that pays me well enough that I can afford to buy a car right off the bat. The latter usually means a full-time work, so I’m going to try the first alternative. Keep that in your prayers for me.
I’ve made some friends on the Facebook with whom I will be starting classes next week. They are all as freaked and petrified as I am, so I have a feeling we will bond well in our mutual misery.
Signing a lease without seeing the apartment was a bit like testing the limits of my nerves, but it turned out very well. The place is more than big enough for one person, and it has all new appliances and carpeting – which I have a story to tell about. I decided to do laundry last night (I know, you’re thinking “nitty gritty details are okay, but stories about laundry?” Bear with me for a moment.). Around midnight, my washer decided that it didn’t want to stop filling with water. After about 1.5 hours, I thought to myself that the laundry is taking way too long. As I walked toward the washer, I felt a puddle of squishy-ness between my toes in the carpet. I shut the water mains off, called the 24-hr property maintenance hotline, and these people have been amazing. The repair man came out within 10 minutes, determined the problem and said that I would get a new washer and get the carpet fixed first thing tomorrow. I am typing this message with the low hum of a dehumidifier sitting in my dining room. At first it was annoying, but, neverthelss, I am endlessly thankful for the prompt service of the maintenance crew. I think I came to the right place. I haven’t met all of my neighbors yet, but the one I’ve met seemed genuinely friendly. The online reviews of the apartment complex were mixed, but I haven’t had any problems with noise, management, or the property itself thus far (keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that I have not just jinxed it).
IKEA has been my lifesaver as far as trying to furnish the new place so that I can make an attempt at civilized living. Disappointingly, though, a friend came over today, sat on the couch, and it broke! I was able to fix it, but I was hoping that things would last a little longer than a week before I start seeing problems. I’m hoping it is not indicative of the lifetime of the rest of my purchases (which is practically my entire household minus the groceries).
The heat is oppressive, but the humidity has been doing a number of my skin for the better. I feel like I’ve de-aged about five to ten years. 😉
After a long, agonizing wait, my student loans have finally come through. Now, I don’t have to file for bankruptcy at age 25. Glory~! They haven’t given me nearly enough money, which adds to the reasons for having to find work ASAP, but I am very thankful that I’m not having as much problems as some of my friends and colleagues.
I’ll try to keep y’all updated periodically as to how I am doing. So long!
Reasonable Woman 