Starting to feel at home

Crazy week and a half - in a good way.

I went on my M-Trek. It was a lot of fun! I really liked the people from my trip. I half thought of it as a cross between the Real World and Survivor but without the cameras. Or maybe more like Road Rules w/o cameras - several strangers picked to hang out...But like any trip, we've come back with some funny (well, we thought they were funny) stories, inside jokes, and great memories. Highly recommended for incoming MBA1's. i'm trying to see if I want to lead a M-trek next year. I'll think about that. I can see a L.A./San Diego trek.

I came back from my M-Trek, checked my car shipping company's website to see if Car ever left the bay area terminal. To my surprise, Car was in Michigan, waiting for me to pick her up - 3 days early! So, fromcali and Car were reunited!

I also got cable, and the boxes i shipped myself, so I'm still setting up the place. I got my student ID card (free bus service!). I'm still without couch and coffee table, but with my stuff (pictures, books, etc), Ann Arbor is starting to feel like "home". I've been hanging out with some friends that I've met at GBR and other events.

Things are still going well - Ross Leadership Program (aka orientation) starts Thursday. I'm looking forward to that - partially to meet the rest of the class and my section-mates, and partially to have somewhat of a routiene. That'll make me really feel like I'm living here instead of on an extended vacation. I'm finally starting to figure out my way around here - and can get to any major store (Target, Walmart, Costco, IKEA, Kroger, etc). It'll still take a while to adjust to driving around here - especially the way people merge on the freeway.

I have a TV!

Yay! TV's seem to be a lot cheaper than I remember...I have no cable yet, but since I brought my DVD player in my checked bags, I can watch TV's someplace other than my laptop. :) I didn't get it at Costco - those were a bit too fancy and out of my price range. I got it at a different store. Decided to go ahead and get it new.

Now if I could only find decent furniture on CL - I swear, these things must have been "recycled" for several years. I planned on getting used living room furniture and a used dresser (was always going to get a new mattress/box spring). I did find a sweet deal on a dining table. So that's a plus. i mean, it needs a table cloth but I can deal with that...especially for the (almost) free price I paid. :)

But I may have to bite the bullet and just go to ikea. THey do charge only $49 for delivery - and can do same day if you get it by around 1:30 or 2...Hmm.

Location of Car: Still in Bay Area...I wonder if car is getting sad and feels like I just dropped her off.

Ann Arbor Learnings

Man, this is a pain in the neck! I never want to move again - especially on a limited budget. Yes, I know I have to move in a couple of years...unless the Google Ann Arbor campus is open by then...

I am unfortunately not having the most productive or efficient move-in imaginable. I keep wanting to sleep - then I would wake up when my body thinks it's say, 8 or 9am, but it's actually 11 or noon. Darned Eastern time! I spent the past couple of days still searching for apartment items, food, and furniture. I thought I'd compile a list of things I've learned in my short time as a resident of this city.

* It's hard to shop for furniture when you're not sure how you want to decorate your apartment. I think I'm going to pick one key item (couch) and just decorate around that.
* Several streets around here just change names suddenly. So say you're going south on street A, and then street A turns west. But you still want to go south. So street A turns and a new street comes along. (Example: S. Main Street turning into Ann Arbor Saline Rd. on the way to target).
* Streets have awfully similar names - don't ask me how often I got Huron Parkway (by Whole Foods) confused with Huron Street (by downtown).
* Produce is more expensive than back home. There's also less of a selection.
* I'm going to have to learn to drive, Michigan-style! (Read: drive more defensively.)

OK, I'm not really complaining. There are some good things I've learned as well:
* People are really nice and friendly. Especially when you tell them you've just moved from California. I've gotten so many tips on the weather: buy new tires, get coats now while they're on pre-season sale prices, etc.
* This town is really pretty. There are so many trees.
* While it's easy to get lost, this town isn't that big so you do find your way back eventually.
* Everything (other than produce) seems to be cheaper. Well, gas is about the same price.
* Sales tax is only 6%!

So, result for today - still furniture-less (not much luck on CL), still TV-less (I'll be buying a TV tomorrow). I've been very good about not buying apartment crap until I have a couch, table, dresser, and TV. I just bought a mattress and need to get the bedframe and wait for delivery. I'm also starting to figure out my way around here - which is key since I have to exchange some of the previously purchased household items.

Location of "car" - still in Bay Area terminal.

Greetings from Ann Arbor!

I made it!

Note to future MBA students: don't quit job Friday and then move out Tuesday morning. I swear I had a good reason to do so. I spent all of this weekend finalizing the packing, going to US Postal service to ship packages, throwing stuff out, and last-minute CL ads. People aren't as flaky when you say "must go by X date" because then they think they can bargain the prices down. They were right. Then the last thing I had to do was say goodbye to car (my car's name is "car"). I dropped my car off at the terminal. Car got sad because it's not used to being away from me for that long. But i promised her that she'd be very well taken care of until 8/21 - which is when she's scheduled to get here. I'll let you know how I feel about the company after car gets back to me safe-and-sound. In the meantime, I'm renting an SUV - very handy.

I really like my apartment - it's got everything my other apartment did not - dishwasher, a/c (wall unit), full-sized stove, a bathtub, dining area separate from my living room. I think I'm the only person who goes to grad school and gets a better apartment than I had before (I lived in a really nice area so I skimped on the apartment itself_. In fact, this apartment seems bigger than it did when I came out a few weeks ago. That's a double-bonus! Plus, I've got a separate pantry (read: kitchen cabinets are used for dishes only) and linen closet (read: bedroom closets are used for clothes only). Now to figure out how to furnish this place.

Anyway, I'm now doing all of the crap I forgot that comes with moving - target runs, about to make a costco run, buying new kitchen appliances, etc. At one point I'll get around to actually buying furniture. So many options - do I go with IKEA or do I go to Craigslist? Food for thought.

I'm still loving this little town. It's not been unbearably hot or thunder stormey. It IS easy to get lost here though. I do miss knowing how to get places. Ah well.

Location of "car" - still in Bay Area terminal.

I'm free!

Done with work! Yay! I am really going to miss the coworkers though. They're really good people - and have been supportive ever since I told them of my plans. And, between the going away gifts I've gotten, I at least know I'll be able to eat and pick up some nick nacks (gotta love Target gift cards!). I mean, as excited as I am to have deposited that final paycheck, I realized it was my final paycheck for a loooonnnggg time.

Now all I have to do is pack. Sigh.