What I learned living in a house with 15 other people and only two bathrooms
Finding cheap housing in the Bay Area is hard. Coming from Boston I didn’t think that I’d find something too bad… but this was bad bad.
Long story short, I found a place to stay that was advertised to be a shared room that was pretty close to my work. But still, crazy expensive compared to what I pay in Boston. Anyway, I get there to find out that it was a little different than what I expected. Yes, it was a shared room with three other girls. But there were two more rooms with more people… and only two bathrooms. And I thought college was bad!
I won’t lie, the lack of privacy is a little stressful. But it was – and has been – so fun. Being an only child who has always had a pretty quiet living situation it was quite an adjustment. Now that summer is wrapping up, I’ve built a little family and I’d honestly live in a situation like this again.
Like the cheesy opening line of the Breakfast Club, we had the (and if they’re reading this they’ll probably know who they are) French baker, silly “fratboy”, the preppy genius, the laidback SoCal coder, the hippie gamer, the one that took way too long in the morning in the bathroom… anyway, the list goes on. But we all just matched, and there was never a dull moment.
It was great having always people in the house to do whatever, from playing cards till 3 am on a Tuesday night, to taking a whole day off and exploring San Francisco. We even had the neighbour’s cat move in with us (still not sure what its name is). I’ll remember the Tuesday poker nights, the day they all where there for me when I had a crappy day at work, I’ll remember how we all helped each other figure things out from work, – even though my coding skills are next to zero – or even the random food we’d make. Even the bad things… like the fact that I had to wake up an hour earlier than I had to, so I’d be able to catch the shower before everyone else, brings good memories.
I’m not sure what the purpose of this blog was, or if it even is appropriate for a “professional” page. But this family that I made over the summer was also part of my internship. They made my transition in an area where I knew no one, so much easier. Not once did I feel alone.
So if you’re debating on going somewhere new, I suggest to just go for it. Find a place that, yes maybe it’s a mess, but that you’ll be able to meet new people and share your struggles together.