I finally found some nail clippers.  I’ve been looking for some nail clippers since arriving in Seattle, since they’re one of those things that you almost always forget to pack, despite the fact that you almost always wind up needing them.  I found some though, and I trimmed my fingernails.  It is a wonderful feeling.

My first four days at work have been crazy and hectic, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of things.  My team seems pretty awesome, and I’ve started making real progress on the warm-up tasks they’ve given me.  My opinion of Seattle right now compares a little less than favorably to Boston.  The public transit system here consists of a baffling array of buses, which makes the city feel larger than it should.  The people here are quite nice though, and I hear it’s a West Coast thing.  The coffee is definitely delicious, that’s for sure.

I’ve found that I have a habit of always ending my paragraphs with a short statement.  Weird.

I had my first latte made by a real barista today, and it was delicious.  The remarkable thing is that it cost a little less than a similar product at Starbucks, or even Dunkin’ Donuts.  I somehow find myself in a really nice little coffee shop, waiting around to get the key to my apartment.  For the next 20 minutes though, I’m homeless, since the key isn’t available until 3pm.

I should get my guitar.  I should play my guitar in the streets.  Maybe people will give me money!

Packing has always been a troubling and somewhat depressing affair.  You go through all of your possessions, subjectively turning down some for the journey and taking some along, all the while with a nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten that one thing that you can’t possibly live without.  It also is one of the few times when I actually feel guilty about owning as many things as I do.

Not to mention the fact that when you’re not packing for a vacation, you’re generally packing to leave one place for another.  I remember the night at the end of spring semester when I packed up most of my life into cardboard boxes and suitcases; saying goodbye to MIT and all of my friends there is never a happy time.

Packing for Seattle is a little strange, since I’m living there for three months, but the apartment I’m moving into is fully furnished, and even has bi-weekly housecleaning.  I’m basically packing to live in a hotel for three months.  And I’m bringing my Wii.

It is my greatest hope and dream that one of my colleagues will bring Rock Band.

The last of my semester grades trickled in today, and I can finally say that all of my obligations to spring semester classes have now been fulfilled.  I also have the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing that I’ve managed a 5.0 (of 5.0) semester GPA at MIT.  Whether this is actually repeatable or not remains to be seen.

My down comforter at home is leaking, and so every morning I wake up covered in feathers.  I feel like I’m slowly turning into a duck.

I’m leaving bright and early (5am, yuck) on Saturday morning for Seattle, WA, an event that I am exceptionally excited for, dangling preposition be damned.  My employer is graciously providing subsidized housing for us interns, which also means that (hopefully) there will be a gaggle of enthusiastic nerds to socialize with once I move in to my new living arrangements.  Anyone ever been to Seattle?  I don’t really know anything about the city, but I’ve heard from others that it’s “green and pretty” and “has good coffee.”  I like coffee.

Beyond those things, I’ve mostly been gaining weight and catching up on sleep at home with my family.  When I get bored of that, I dabble a little bit with the new MIT DanceTroupe website that I’m slowly building with the Django web framework.  It will be a thing of beauty when it’s complete, I promise.