Home again

(view from my new place)

As most of you have figured out, I'm back. In fact, I'm so far back that I've already been completely consumed by life back at school. It's amazing how everything is the same. I'm having a harder time than I expected readjusting. Maybe it's the lack of free time - among other things, I miss having this outlet! For the moment, I'm hoping I'll get to keep updating. We'll see how well that goes...

In the meantime, I've got new digs. I'll be living in Venice, and while my apartment isn't huge, it's not tiny either, so please come visit.

The apartment finding process was an adventure. I met a lot of crazies. There was the woman who over-decorated everything and particularly favored leopard print, whose dog pissed on my shoes. There was the guy who was "cool if I lived there", but he couldn't stand hair (said, staring at my ponytail which has gotten quite long since I wasn't game to brave an Australian haircut). There was the woman who was 7 months pregnant. I find in awkward asking a woman if she's expecting, especially if she's already a little round around the middle. But the fact that we would be adding a third roommate, one who doesn't sleep through the night, is kind of relevant. I was pretty discouraged. But I found a place, and if you ignore the fact that I'm only half unpacked, its good.

(my empty storage crate)

So this quarter is gearing up to be crazy busy, but I'm excited about my classes. I'm taking Business and Economies in Emerging Markets, Non-market strategy, International business strategy, and Negotiations. Plus my 6-month consulting project / masters thesis, for which it looks like we'll be developing a crop insurance product for a microfinance organization in western Vietnam. I might even get to go to Vietnam! Hopefully the adventures are just starting. Stay tuned...