Moving to the Bay Area

The flight from Hong Kong to SFO was not at all pleasant this time despite the empty seat next to me. Turbulence was the worst I've yet to experience, and it didn't help that the woman next to me started chanting prayers out loud. At one point, with my eyes closed, I could have sworn it was me doing the chanting...

Anyway...

I landed at about 8 a.m. I believe and it just took me forever to collect all my luggage (suitcase, PC, flat screen monitor), get through immigration and customs, and call AT&T Wireless to have them reactivate my cell phone since I had the service temporarily disconnected while I was away. By the time Nelson came to pick me up in my own car -- and what a BEAUTIFUL car it is indeed -- it was close to 11 a.m. and I wasn't feeling all that great, though it was good to see Nelson again. He is so... FRESH.

We went back to his place, and I was feeling disoriented in general. SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW, EH? I didn't really feel like going "home" yet (Quynh & Nelson's apartment to be exact), and instead, so as to keep myself awake, decided that I would spend the entire day apartment hunting.

Yes... I was DYING to find a place of my own to live, over and above taking a shower and getting some much needed rest.

So Nelson directed me to the nearest Albertson's -- evidently Alberton's has better apartment listing booklets than Safeway, and who would know stuff like this? -- and there I sat by myself in the parking lot fumbling through the pages, thinking that I really could live anywhere -- San Francisco City, Peninsula, San Jose, I really didn't care at this point -- and that what mattered most is that I find myself a comfortable, and safe place to live. I don't need anything huge, just a cozy little corner I can call my own, know what I mean?

Since I was already in San Mateo, I flipped through the said pages and noticed a number of rentals in the same area, so I decided to just drive myself over there, park my car, walk around, and see what was available, which is what I did.

To make a short story short, I signed the lease on the first and only place I saw.

It's beautiful.

Just to make sure I didn't completely lose my mind -- afterall I did just fly in from Asia after being away for three months and feeling disoriented the entire time -- I did drag Nelson back out to have a second look with me. He gave me the thumbs up, and so I filled out the application and will be moving in this Saturday.

Everything about this apartment was calling my name.

Christine... Christine... Christine... take it... take it... take it...

And so I did.