Finding a replacement for myself

Well, it's all official that I'm leaving now as I have finally told all three of my housemates. Of course, I wanted to tell them all at once but we are never all here at the same time so that wasn't possible.

As I felt bad for leaving so soon after I came, I decided the honourable thing to do was to take on the job of finding potential replacement flatmates myself. What a pain it is too! So many phone calls and so many emails. Plus I made the mistake of not knowing when the others would be available to see people when I first placed the ad. So, of course, when people who called or emailed asked "So when can I come and see the flat" I had to say "I don't know, I'll get back to you". I've just been getting back to people now, and it has cost me a few pounds in phone calls.

The up side of getting back to people, after many people have contacted me first, is that I can be a bit more choosey about who gets to come. Otherwise, it may very well have been first in, first served, and late-comers, however lovely and suitable they sounded, would have missed out. Still, I don't have to live with them and the final decision is not up to me.

The other up side is that there does not appear to be a shortage of people wanting a place to live in London. I have had more people respond to the ad than there is time to see. I have filled three of the six "appointments" and have three outstanding offers of appointments.

Hopefully after Monday evening (when people are coming around), I will be able to relax a bit more. All the things that need to be done because I'm leaving have been causing me to feel quite stressed. Fortunately, as of my impromtu day off on Wednesday due to train problems, most of the travel plans for Simon and my trip are made and my Australian tax return in done!