Day V: Des Moines – Minneapolis
Last leg. Good lord. Starting the day at La Mie, with a lot of real European-style pastry that satisfies my eyes. They are so gorgeous and I wish I had bought some more for breakfast. Well, I will work hard to bring myself to Des Moines again.
The drive to Minneapolis was nice and calm, but once I’m in the metro. Goodness, I’m just stuck in traffic forever and got lost between lanes all the time. Two weeks later it is still a problem. Also, Minneapolis can be hot. Moving boxes and boxes of things down and up the stairs was no joke.
But I made it to Minneapolis, in an apartment which the floor is slanted every. Single. Inch. But I have an amazing location, I’m really close to Walker, and pretty close to downtown and uptown. I have no complaints about that at all. I also resolved to make this place somewhere I can be comfortably finish my dissertation, even if it is expensive. I want to have a place where it can be a great study area, and where my creative juice flows.
Day 6+: Settling in.
It has been 15 days since I moved in. Wow, it is almost half a month. I am still figuring out some of the small details in my life, as well as everything at school. At least, I have all of my paperwork completed, and all I need is to study for my diagnostics and skill tests. I am excited to see what I can do in the next few years, how I will work with Sumanth, and everything about my doctoral studies.
My apartment is built with almost everthing IKEA, and I’m proud of that. I like the setup, and hey it is at the end pretty closely related to Sweden. Why can’t I transplant the Swedish living style here? But no, IKEA food won’t enter this household. Not a chance.
I also made a very bold decision to buy a Shikibuton instead of the normal mattress as my bed. After the first long night of figuring out my furniture and internet, I was lying on this 3-inch think futon on the floor talking with one of my best friends in the midnight. I thought it would be uncomfortable, but you know what, it felt more and more comfy as I talked. When I woke up after like 6 hours of sleep, I felt the most rested for the last many years. And up till now, I only took a nap once. Comparing with the sleep quality in the past few years in the States, it is a significant improvement. I don’t stay asleep very well, but it will get there once school starts.
Through multiple channels, I have already met a lot of great people. I met a theatre organist/organ technician that brought me to a farm (!) to see a huge collection of carousel organs and my first hands-on experience on a theatre organ. I met the director of a local art venue. I met with a church pastor that supported my ideas so much and is so into experiment and creating meaningful experiences. I met Dr. Damschroder and learned that he walks to school. This place has been so wonderful to me. There are so many doors that have already opened for me and so many dreams that I wanted to realize without success that are becoming reality. I am just constantly at the edge of crying because of gratitude and happiness. Yes it will be busy and tough, but these few years will be amazing. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.
Thank you for all the frustrations and sadness I experienced, without all of the experiences, this would not have been this bittersweet and wonderful.
