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| My New Home :-) |
Being a graduate student, and almost 24 years of age, I made the decision to move out of the Tel Aviv University student dorms and find my own apartment. I have did dorm life and communal living in college and now it is time for the new experience of having my own place. For the last month I have been browsing apartment ads on craigslist, janglo, homeless and other various sites that advertise to foreigners trying to find housing abroad, but everything was either too expensive or looked like ex convicts lived in the area... Not quite what I had imagined for my first ever apartment.
Only about 5 days ago, as I was killing time and looking online for potential residencies, I found this amazing apartment in central Tel Aviv. 2 Californians who had just finished their army service were looking for another roommate to fill their brand new, never before lived in 4.5 bedroom apartment. It is in a fantastic area, within my budget, and I couldn't wait to jump at the opportunity to at least have a look. I went to one of their viewings today and completely fell in love with the space. IT IS GORGEOUS! The apartment consists of 4.5 rooms, 2 bathrooms, an amazing balcony with a view of the city, a full kitchen, a great living room, and a laundry room that will soon have a washer and dryer (which is such an amazing luxury for Israel). The building also has a doorman, a gym, and it is only a block or so away from one of the biggest shopping centers in Tel Aviv. Feeling that this was most likely a highly coveted room I wasn't expecting too much to come from this. Of course I was hoping for the best but you never really know with these things.
I came home and put it into my head that if it was meant to be I would hear back, and if not, then something better was out there waiting for me. Well, I guess it was meant to be because only a few hours later I received a call from one of the guys renting the room saying that he, and the other two guys who were for sure living in the apartment, would love to have me as one of their roommates!!! I was so happy and relieved! Not only is this place amazing but it is in a fantastic area and the guys who will be living in the other rooms seem really fantastic; I think we will all get along really well. I've always consider myself one of the guys anyways so its quite appropriate that I will be living with three of them. I'm not sure if they will have a girl or a guy stay in the other room available, but either way it will be great!
I never would have thought that my first apartment would be anywhere but in California, but I am so happy that Tel Aviv will finally become home. I won't be in a dorm, or short term rental, but will have my own place. For a process that is usually quite a headache, this has been a pleasure, and I'm so glad I found something this amazing so quickly. I feel extremely blessed, very lucky, and am more and more thankful everyday for all of the amazing things that seem to be falling into place! Now I can cross one more thing off the list, focus on my graduate school orientation, study my Arabic, and get ready for my trip to Jordan. I'm still trying to lock down volunteer work in the West Bank on weekends (since I am off of school every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), and trying to find extra Arabic lessons, but other than that everything is really coming together :-)
This is my last so-called weekend of freedom before school starts so I plan on taking full advantage of a quite schedule and resting up before the craziness of the semester starts. My roommate in the dorms has finally arrived and she is amazing. Her name is Banchi and she is from Ethiopia. I have had a great time getting to know her and know and know that we will get along great for the short amount of time we will be living together. She is also in my MA program and I'm extremely happy that I am starting to meet the people I will be studying with for the next 2 years.
Other than that I have a grant proposal to finish for PIJ, orientation coming up, my trip to Jordan happening on Friday, and then I will be focusing on my big move and the start of school!
So many exciting things on the horizon :-)
Until next time,
Jordana Simone
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