I haven’t said a word to my roommate since I got back from the Big Island. This is less due to the fact that I’ve given up all pretenses of civility and more due to the fact that I simply haven’t been around; for the past ten days, I had been staying at my girlfriend’s place. With her parents gone on vacation in the Philippines, she invited me to a little retreat from my own residence. I gladly welcomed the chance away from my awkward living situation.
I hesitated in writing about this experience for two reasons: 1) I don’t want this blog to get all mushy and Jenn-centric (says the man who posted his Valentine’s poem); and 2) not much happened, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. Living with Jenn was simply. . . simple. Uncomplicated. Comfortable. We cooked meals together and washed the dishes afterward. She dropped me off for work and I picked her brother up from martial arts class. We passed the afternoons watching movies on her projector screen and spent the evenings walking her dog. We fell asleep in each other’s arms and woke up to each other’s smiles.
(Sorry, that last sentence was cringe-worthy.)
Though our cohabitation stint was only ten days long, it gave me a good look into the future, cooking cheap meals together in our tiny outer-borough studio in New York. It didn’t erase any doubts I had about living together because I had none to start with. If anything, it made me anxious to go, and now seven months never seemed so long. Good thing I have a few big distractions ahead to help my time left on O’ahu move by swiftly.
For one, I did manage to find a new place to live. Shortly after coming back from the Big Island, I discovered that one of my new coworkers will have an open spot in her place at the start of March. Finding that out was almost serendipitous as she was the second person I randomly asked. The place is only a few blocks away and within my budget. I will be sharing a room with her brother, which Jenn isn’t too psyched about, but the back patio, kitchen, and living room are all pretty spacious. Plus, it’ll be interesting living with and getting to know three new people, even if they are all under the age of twenty. There is a downside: the place is only until the end of June and then I’m going to have to find a new place for my last few months, but that’s a problem for Future Anthony. Present Anthony’s problem is having to pack up everything for the move.
Another great distraction to help move along the seven months is my Cousin Jen’s wedding in June (congratulations, Jen and Dean!). Not only are trips back home a wonderful change of pace, especially for big family celebrations like a wedding, but this time, Jenn is coming with me to California! My family is excited to meet her and she. . . well, she’s gearing up for a lot of new faces and names to remember. I have no doubt that my fantastic, gigantic family will make her feel welcome, just as I have no doubt that Jenn will dazzle them with her smile. And if a family wedding wasn’t enough excitement, I get to show her around the Bay Area before and afterward. Berkeley, San Francisco, LIVERMORE! Oh, man, is she in for a treat!
Between those distractions, I’ll still be having fun working at Bubba Gump’s, even more so now that I’m a server trainer. I became a trainer not just because I felt our new hires were getting sloppy, but also because I want to transfer to the Times Square location and being a trainer would make that easier. It will be nice to have an immediate income while I apply for grad school in New York.
I couldn’t think of a poignant observation about life to thematically tie up this post. I’m surprised I even wrote as much as I did. Tune in next week when I will again attempt to make my life more interesting to you than Facebook.
My favorite picture of Jenn from this week. Her initial attempt to find a poking stick on the Maunawili Falls Trail was a failure.
Young Man Went East 