Getting lucky

When I made the decision to move over here I knew I was going to be living in a shared house. While I can afford a studio or one bedroomed place I hate living alone and given the paucity of people I know over here a shared house makes sense. You’ve got an instant social network and it’s always nice to come home to a friendly environment with good people.

I’ve usually lived in shared housing, even in London. I’ve got a place to myself a few times but I’ve found living alone to be a depressing, and slightly unhealthy experience. I’m a social animal and like the feeling of having others around me to share with.

Now looking for a place is a tricky task. It’s the first time I’ve done this in over a decade and I’d forgotten how stressful the whole thing is. It’s kind of like a job interview, you’re checking the place out thoroughly but also you’re supposed to be selling yourself too – particularly in a tight housing market like San Fran, as I said last night.

Luckily age brings experience and I used this to my advantage. One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that if you’re in any kind of interview situation you should never try too hard. If you want the right job or relationship for you, for example, you never try and sell yourself. Instead you be honest, open and if they like you then they like you, if they don’t it’s not the right place for you anyway. It took nearly ten years of work to realise this strategy gets you to the positions you are happiest with. That goes for homes, relationships and friendships.

In 1999 I got an interview for the job I then wanted most in the world, technical editor of the finest computer magazine on the planet. I remember being asked by one of the editors, T, what digital assistant I used and why. I expounded the virtues of my Palm 3x at length and then he asked me about the 5 model.

I disparaged it as a tool for a fashion victim and explained about the virtues of removable batteries and the shortcuts that fancy styling had forced on functionality. With consummate timing he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Palm 5. I felt the blood drain out of my face, thinking I’d blown my dream job, but he grinned and told me I’d made my case fairly and that was what he was looking for. We’re still friends today.

So at the first house I looked around yesterday I resolved to follow the same strategy, and my goodness it worked. I got an email that night and they want me to move in. I’d budgeted for two weeks to get this done and now I’ve found a home. Went to sleep with a very big grin on my face indeed.