Clare is a 23-year-old office manager who is currently exploring her independence with eyes set on something much larger and more exciting than anything Akron, Ohio can offer. I admire that. She's also lived in Argentina, speaks fluent Spanish (so fluent sometimes she doesn't realize she's speaking Spanish to us humble, single language folk) and hopes to land a career in foreign relations. She's so incredibly bright, resourceful, and determined that I have no doubt she will go anywhere and do anything she puts her mind to.
With a background like that there really wasn't much question as to whether or not Jon and I would agree to rent a room to her. It mostly revolved around deciding if we could be accommodating enough that anyone would want to live with us for any amount of time. So, we decided to make a list of Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- The extra money couldn't hurt (for those two months especially).
- She could tell us what the actors on the Spanish channel are really saying.
- We won't require my little sister's house-sitting services (read: HOUSE PARTY) during our trip to Vegas in August.
- Jon and I will be less likely to kill each other over this whole unemployment thing. (Witnesses have that effect.)
- Maybe she'll hook me up with her job if she heads to D.C. in August.
- A constant excuse for weekend bonfires.
- Must close bathroom door.
- I have to wear more than my underwear to grab those jeans from the dryer downstairs.
- Overcoming my fear of awkward small talk.
- She's going to know just how bad my housekeeping skills are.
- Shower arrangements.
- It could be extremely embarrassing if she ever catches me working out.
The conversation during Thursday's dinner involved very little talk of her moving in and more about what we've all be up to in the last few months. The little talk that did revolve around living arrangements went a bit like this:
Jon: "We have two rules in this house: 1) You can't say the word WALK. You can't even spell it or the dogs will go bonkers. No, I don't know how they learned to spell it. 2) The big TV is the only one I can play video games on, so if I've had a particularly stressful day at work and I want to relax while playing a game, I might have to kick you off if you're watching something. So, do you want to move in?"
Clare: "Yeah. Is Saturday too soon?"
Clare moved in on Saturday. Jon and I are officially living with someone other than each other for the first time in 8 years, and other than feeling extra tired today from having to get up earlier to make shower time, it hasn't been too strange. Okay, strange? Yes. Uncomfortable? Only slightly. Maddening? Absolutely not.
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