Updatin'

I'm updating Saturday night, rather than Sunday. 'Cause, why not?

-I have a new roommate! That happened very fast. Julie put an ad online on Thursday morning, listing my number as she left later that day for her two-week vacation to Florida. I got three phone calls on Thursday and one on Friday from people wanting to see the place! One girl came by Thursday night, and one guy came by Friday afternoon, and the other two never showed even though I invited them to come see the place. Julie had expressed a preference for a male roommate, but I wasn't going to let that be the deciding factor-- I really did like the girl that saw the place. But she was concerned about parking (there is only one spot, and it's Julie's) and wasn't sure when she could move in. The guy, Mathias, loved the place-- when he saw the room, he exclaimed "It's huge!" (In my head, I thought "Really?" Because it's, by far, the smallest room-- mine is significantly bigger, and has about four times the storage space. Julie's is bigger yet, and she has a huge closet. But I wasn't about to point that out.) Mhairi moved out today, and he was available to move in today, and was able to pay the deposit right away. So, new roomie! Mathias is German, probably in his late 20's, and works at a software company in Galway. He is very friendly and kind of nerdy. I think we'll get along fine.


-In the past week, I received my travel bursary AND got paid for invigilating! Finally. So, next week, I am going to Dublin for research. I am taking the train down Monday afternoon, staying in a hostel for three or four nights, and I'll be spending my days at the National Library of Ireland reading hundred-year-old plays. I'm quite excited to be getting on with original research. And, also, to spend time in Dublin. The hostel where I'm staying, Avalon House, looks very nice and comes highly recommended by my friend Meredith. I'm even hoping to do a little shopping while I'm there. I really do love Dublin. Even though I only lived there for not-quite-three months, I really felt a connection to the city that I haven't felt in many places-- certainly no other major urban centers.


-Also in the past week, I said goodbye to my friends Meredith and Beth, both of whom moved back to the 'States. I miss them already-- our little group, "the girls," isn't the same with just the three of us. Still, I have high hopes and half-baked plans to visit Meredith in Brooklyn sometime in the not-so-distant future. Beth lives in Minnesota, and I don't care so much to visit a state that is like Michigan only colder, but maybe we can meet up sometime in Chicago.