Housing background

I found my new apartment one week before coming back to the United States, and I was very lucky to have read an email that the secretary of my school sent to me--she knew that I was searching for housing. I had been searching for some time for a living situation suitable to my needs, and I was desperate to find something before my departure.

I had originally found a job with an American University in Milan as a resident assistant for incoming Americans--a job that I would have loved doing considering my study abroad experience and passion for playing tourguide. They would have paid for my apartment as long as I lived with American students, helping them with their transitions into the Italian lifestyle. They had decided to hire me despite me being American because they thought that I could offer a lot for the new students--understanding of their background and current situation and a decent knowledge of the city, the language, and the Italian history and culture.

Well, the sad part of the story is that three weeks after the job confirmation, the woman phoned me saying that they could not give me the job. She was very apologetic, but I was devastated. They had given me specifications of their requirements, and I had made flight changes to adhere to their instructions. I had also stopped searching for an apartment and a job for three weeks. Well I made sure to let them know the horrible situation they put me in, but I could do no more but accept their apologies. Sometimes in life, certain things are not meant to be---you have to roll with the punches, and move forward. That day, despite my sadness and feelings of extreme defeat and helplessness, I mustered the energy to read and reply to that one email--that landed me with this lovely house with great roommates. Those flight changes also worked out for the better.