I moved!

If you read my previous post, you'll know that I got a new job, and that I was looking for a place to live.
Well, I can now confidently tell you, while sitting in my new bedroom, that I did indeed find a place to live! The way everything worked out was pretty smooth. Gather 'round:
Whilst dredging through Craigslist and KSL, I found a number of suitable living quarters, but each one had several other housemates. Because I wanted something a little more private, I kept searching, but even when I decided housemates would have to be an option, still the rent prices were a little higher than I wanted.
After deciding that I couldn't really have the perfect room I desired for anything less than $550/month, I started considering paying a touch more (like $750-800) for an apartment of my very own. It was just about this time that a dear friend called me for a nice long chat.
We hadn't really spoken since our fun adventures in South Korea 2 years ago, so our conversation was full of reminiscing and nostalgia. When the topic of my move came up, she said she'd ask around for any leads on a good deal.
By this time, I'd been searching vigorously - several hours a day - for a place to live. I'd contacted a dozen or so people who posted ads, but only two got back to me, and even then they didn't respond to any follow up questions. It was really frustrating. But lo! My friend called me back to tell me that her friend lived in a house with a room available! I contacted the homeowner, and plans were made for me to come see the house and the room.
Everything went well, and I moved in 6 days later! My dad and brother helped me do it all.
I have three other housemates, but everyone is finished with school and seems pretty normal. Rent is good, the house is fully furnished, my room can fit all my stuff (which is impressive), and my shared bathroom is clean. AND all the housemates are the same religion as I am! That might not be a big deal to some, but to me, that means that I won't have to worry about drunken parties, drugs, or anything too wild happening in my new home.
I'm about 6 miles from my workplace, so the drive shouldn't ever be too bad. I start work on Tuesday, so I don't have anything to say about work yet, except that everyone on the staff and in HR has been immensely helpful and friendly.

Alright, so although everything is fine, I have to admit that after all my stuff was piled into my new room and my dad and brother left, I had a "What have I done...." moment as I stood alone amid all my earthly belongings. That was yesterday. Today I finished organizing my room, had lunch with my super awesome cousin, set up my piano, and even bought colorful pens from the store. I'm pretty sure everything's gonna be alright. Tomorrow I have church, so I'll meet like 170 new people, so I'm excited to start making friends here too.
I had a similar "what-have-I-done" feeling when I sat in my seat on the airplane headed to South Korea. Funny enough, it's because I went to Korea that I ended up in the house I'm in now. Actually, if I really go back, it's because I finished my LDS mission a few weeks early that basically every life event has happened since.
Along with my mission president, I decided to finish my mission about 3 weeks early so that I could make it back to school on time, rather than be offset a whole semester by arriving 2 weeks late. So, I got home and like 4 days later sat in my first major-oriented English class. Because of the way my classes were scheduled, I was able to go on a study abroad trip to London to earn my Shakespeare credit over the summer of 2010 rather than take it during a traditional semester. In turn, that summer program helped me to graduate in May of 2011, which then allowed me to go teach English in South Korea for a year, where I met lots of great people. Because of the people I met in Korea and through study abroad, I have been to New York, London again, and now I have a place to live while I start my grown-up career.
Funny how things work out, right?

Well, I'll call this post complete and I'll write again next week after I have more to say. Toodles!

10 points to Gryffindor! Brandon went on a date!

Okay, so I don't date much. I just haven't felt like it. To some people, like parents and church leaders, that's not a good thing. While I understand their concerns, I feel NO guilt about it. It's my life, and ah do wut ah want! (Just say that last sentence out loud if you don't get it.)
Anyway, I'm going to be moving in a week or so because I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!! I have a nice friend and she and I have been friends since high school. I rather suddenly decided a date would be fun before I leave town, so I asked her to dinner, and she accepted. How nice of her, right? We went to Pizza Factory (which all Utahns know about and we got their super good pasta and those fat bread sticks.
Anyway, it was fun and simple and totally not stressful. She even gave me a couple cinnamon rolls and cookies when I took her home. I love cinnamon rolls! They are the Great Harvest kind that are HUGE and so good. It was just a fun night out.
So, you read that I got a new job, and I'm so excited for it! It's a library job in Utah County, and it's full-time and everything! I'm practically a grown-up now! I only have to find a place to live.... That part is not fun at all. I want my own room, and will not settle for anything else. I also want a room big enough to someday have a queen-sized bed so I can sleep in any sprawled way that I want. I also want my own place altogether, but that's a little bit too much money for now. There are several places near my workplace, but nothing is really standing out to me. If you know me personally, though I'm a psycho and an outgoing dork around friends, I like to keep to myself and be able to just go home after work and relax and not do anything if I like in my quiet apartment. With 5-6 other housemates, I have no idea what I could be getting into. I mean, I'm way out of college, in my upper-20s (shudder), and don't want to be a part of the college scene anymore, at all.
Like I said, I want a place of my own. Since that won't happen right away, I'm being pretty selective. Wish me luck.
Oh, and I AM a Gryffindor - Pottermore told me so.