It's been a while since I've had to share a place with more than one person. Even in Jamaica I had my own little palace inside the aged single-wide trailer. Not since April of '04 have I had to deal with 'other people's food,' bathroom schedules, etc. Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in.
Pictured above from left to right are Ulla (Austria), Katya (U.S. by way of Belarus), and Árni (Iceland). There are two others with whom I share an apartment, John and Phillip (U.S. and Austria, respectively) and the six of us occupy the place I affectionately refer to as, 'The Villa.'
We get along nicely so far with a couple of 'family dinners' already decorating the weeknights. There is also a nice camaraderie around making fun of each other for our respective nationalities. Staple comeback to just about everything: "Freggin' foreigners."
The upshot in this for me is that I can still make friends. You may be thinking that’s no surprise. Afterall, if an ant would slow down long enough, I’d introduce myself. But that’s more of a willingness to meet people. Making friends is a little different. My biggest fear right now is my ability to transition into a school environment after being away from it for so long, particularly given the age difference between me and my fellow students. Without me, the program’s average age might drop by at least two years.
Before I left, one of my clients predicted I would fall in love and meet my future wife here. Right now I’d settle for a firm guarantee that I’ll just fit in. I’ll keep you posted.
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