We have arrived

We have arrived. Saturday, actually. It will take me years to off-set my carbon emissions from towing a trailer with Sarah, my 1998 Honda Civic, but she survived and is resting in front of Julie’s neighbor’s house. The trailer is due back tomorrow; I’m hoping to have an apartment by then so I don’t have to pack and unpack my schtuff numerous times. The apartment field is not looking promising. Correction: there are lots of apartments I like, but no one is calling me back. Grrr.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, ‘bout what I want to get involved in here, ‘bout who I want to get involved with, ‘bout job prospects and apartment prospects. I’ve expressed interest in volunteering with moveon.org and signed up for the emailing list for the Denver Hash House Harriers. I know the dance scene already, but I think I’ll try to branch out a bit, and not get stuck in the “It’s [day of week], I must go dancing” mindset.

Even with all that thinking, being here still feels temporary. Despite the loooong drive, despite the trailer of schtuff, despite the job applications and the phone calls about apartments, the whole scenario feels temporary, as it has been for the past five years of visits. Julie says her move two years ago didn’t start feeling permanent until winter came along, but she moved in March, so had been in town for eight-ish months by the time winter rolled around. Granted, winter’s not right around the corner, but I’m not sure four months is long enough. I was in Nepal for four months; did that ever start feeling ‘permanent’?

In terms of social scene it did; with the Hash House Harriers and the American Club I got involved as much as I felt comfortable. However, each time I saw an ad for an apartment, I would have to remind myself that I didn’t need to look for my next place to live, as I was leaving. In Denver, it’s the opposite. I keep having to remind myself that I need a place to live, that I can’t be at Julie’s house for the duration of this visit, as this ‘visit’ doesn’t have a terminus.

So, back to craigslist I go…