Day 2

I'm feeling a little more settled today. Much less emotional chaos, which is a very good thing.

I haven't really accomplished much today in the way of unpacking. I did get 3-4 more boxes unpacked, and I bought bed risers so now I can store more under my bed. I think I've gotten to the point where I'll be able to fit everything I brought.

I'm finding the transitions I've gone through lately to be very unsettling. I went from living in a nice apartment with a good friend and being very financially stable, to living at home with my parents and siblings making pizzas for a little over minimum wage, to living in a tiny apartment with a girl I don't know at all in a huge city with no job. I'm a person who very much enjoys stability. I think once I have a job, and get to the point where I have established some habits, I'll feel a lot more settled. Until then, I'm just trying to live day-by-day.

On the job front, I've been mainly looking for jobs online. I signed up on monster.com, hotjobs.yahoo.com, and a few other sites. I started looking a few months ago, and I quickly realized that with my generalized degree and lack of experience, I'm not exactly the most desirable job candidate. I have applied to a few jobs, and when I didn't hear back from most of my applications, I signed up on a few sites for temp office workers. I'm hoping to get a job with one of those firms. If I don't, I have seen quite a few "Now Hiring" signs in stores in my neighborhood, and while I really don't want to waste more time in a job that isn't giving me valid resume experience, I do need to make money. We'll see how everything pans out, but right now I'm trying to stay optimistic. This is a very expensive place to live with no income.

My goal for getting everything unpacked and being settled in is to be done by Friday. I've told myself that if I am done by the weekend, I will completely ignore the job search and just have a fun, relaxing weekend. It's been pretty good motivation so far, although I do have quite a few errands to run in the next few days.

One of the biggest differences I've noticed here is the lack of grocery stores. Do most residents shop in those tiny, expensive shops that have a limited selection of stuff, or are there hidden grocery stores I'm not seeing? I think I'll have to do a little more exploring for stuff like this. Fortunately, I brought a lot of non-perishable food from home, so I think I'll be living on pasta and soup until I can find affordable groceries.

As for the internet situation, I'm sitting right now in a tea shop called the Tea Spot that has free wireless access. I stumbled on it a few blocks away from my apartment. I'm hoping to get internet access set up in my apartment tomorrow. I feel really cut off from the world not having access on a regular basis. Does that make me an addict? Anyway, I should get out of here soon. I have a feeling the one slice of cheesecake I bought probably doesn't entitle me to use the internet for too long. :o)