First time in Moscow

Austin and I planned our trip for Moscow, Idaho the week after the 4th so we could have time to search for housing and meet with a professor that he might work with. We fasted that month that we might be able to find a good spot to live. We were very blessed even though it was stressful! I'll back up the rest of our trip with pictures but I wanted to share how we got our apartment.

I had lined up several appointments for apartments and was feeling pretty good about them. I gave each appointment enough time so we weren't rush from one appointment to the next. I was glad that we did because some of them would mention other apartments that they had that I hadn't looked at before so it gave us time to do that. There was however a gap in between one of the appointments and I knew there was a place I wanted to see if we could get a tour just in case. As we got there, the office had just closed but the postman was there at the same time and he mentioned they're not there very often. We told him our situation and he asked if we visited this one apartment complex. He said that they also managed the apartments on the other side of the street. I thanked him for letting us know but as we got into the car, I told Austin that I looked at those before and didn't really like them.

By 3PM we had gone to all of our appointments and we liked one but there was some things about it that I didn't love so it caused me to be stressed because this day was our only chance! I wouldn't know what to do if we couldn't find one that day. I looked on craigslist again and saw the apartments the postman had mentioned and for some reason they looked better this time around so I thought, why not? We drop in and they were super nice to give us tours of different layouts. Of course, the very last apartment that we look at is the one that we like the most. We like the location and the layout of the apartment. It doesn't have a washer/dryer in the apartment but it's the cheapest out of all of them and it seems like it's kept up really well. We felt really blessed that we were able to find this one! I know the Lord is in the details of our lives. And also thanks to the postman-I don't think it was a coincidence that we ran into him.

The morning before we looked at housing, we met with Dr. Xing in the mechanical engineering department and the department chair. We had a great chat and it looks like Austin is going to be a TA for the first semester and then a research assistance after that. That is also another blessing! We got a tour of the buildings that they have for ME and then we watched a thesis defense by one of Dr. Xing's students. It lasted about an hour long and it was neat to see that this is what Austin will be doing 2 years from now. The whole presentation was like a foreign language to me! The faculty members were so helpful. They asked if I found work yet and because I said no, they asked one of the ladies in the office if she knew of any office assistant works I could do. Talk about friendly people!

We ate at Gambino's that night which was fun and amazingly delicious! No wonder there was a line outside the door.

Then we went to the Moscow Food co-op which is a place that speaks to my soul.

And then we walked around campus and oh my it's BEAUTIFUL! Nothing like I've seen in other campuses. It's got an old, New England feel. I love it.

And of course we had to see the Saturday food market and I can't wait to live here so I can go and get my $5 box of peaches. There is so much fresh food I might have to put a restraint on myself. :)

It helps that your view going to Moscow is absolutely gorgeous. Trees are actually green, it's a beautiful sight!

Couer d'Alene. We will be back for sure. Love this sunset view.

This is going south towards Moscow. I love the blurriness of the bottom picture because we were zooming by. Did I mention that Austin hit an owl the moment that we arrived in Moscow? I think he lived.

At Gambinos with my favorite future graduate student!

Hippie town and loving it.

Yeah I think I'm going to like it here.

Moss growing on the building, droopy trees, beautiful paths, it just doesn't get much better than this.

I felt like we're going to a school that C.S. Lewis might have attended or something. :)

Love the little encouragement on the electric box.

"Amber waves of grain." This was on our ride home. This whole scene seems contemplative. We are excited to return, Moscow!