All I Need to Know in Life, I Learned by Doing Improv

Thursday evening I had the pleasure of attending the all-new “Superhero Show” at Vancouver’s TheaterSports League.

The show started by presenting a number of scenes depicting life in “Big City” and the audience was asked to choose which character would secretly be the superhero. Would it be the postman? The head of law enforcement? The plumber? When asked to choose, the audience unanimously shouted, “The Bird! The Bird!” Yep. We chose the random ‘bird’ an actor had portrayed in a park scene.  We laughed at our super hero named “The Pecker” for the next hour and as the story drew to a close I was stumped as to how he would save the day. I racked my brain for a scenario that would work and kept coming up empty. The actor resolved the story by following the simplest concept – embrace the scene. I kept trying to introduce something new into the story when the answer was already there. As typical with most things in my life, I was over thinking it.

(All of that said, the show was hilarious and I highly recommend any of the TheaterSports shows if you’re ever in Vancouver.)

The following day I visited another potential apartment – it turned out to be the most promising place I’d seen yet. I’d be a roommate to a late twenty-something gentleman who worked in marketing. He was a normal guy, kept a pretty clean house, and we had professional experience that overlapped enough for us to have something in common. The only drawback in my eye was that we’d have to share a bathroom. The idea set-off my OCD a bit, but I figured I’d get over it. I told him I’d be very interested and he said he’d get back to me on Wednesday, after the holiday. I left hopeful and happy.

That night I got tired. The next morning I got sick. The universe was reminding me of what I’d forgotten in my latest apartment visit–I live with Chron’s Disease. This means I tend to monopolize the bathroom for hours at a time… not the ideal situation with a roommate.

So frustratingly I went back to the drawing board - in between bathroom visits – with a nod to improv lessons from the night before. This is my situation… how do I work within it?  Basically, I prioritized again. Solo bathroom? Necessary. Parking? Necessary. Location with everything at my front door? Not necessary. I made a mental list, scoured the internet, and sent a few emails. 

In 30 minutes I received an email back. Then a phone call - I set-up a visit for Tuesday, after the Thanksgiving holiday. I then received a more urgent phone call – there was more interest than they expected and can I come today… No, wait – can I be there in 20 minutes? I did what you’re supposed to do in improv – I said yes. (I even made it with a few minutes to spare, thanks to my Chicago driving skills.)

It was a Heritage Home (aka, a big, old house) that a husband and wife had turned into studio rental units with ensuite bathrooms and kitchenettes. I saw the unit that was advertised online – it was ok. I didn’t love it. He showed me a second, smaller unit that was a little cheaper, but it didn’t have a kitchen sink. I have no desire to wash dishes in my bathroom sink for five months, so I passed. He then showed me a unit on the main floor. It shared a kitchenette with another suite, but everything else (like the bathroom) was individual. … It was lovely. It had obviously been the dining room originally, because it featured big bay windows and a built-in hutch that was meant for dishes, but now functioned as the room’s dresser. It had a decent size closet, a clean bathroom, and enough space that I wouldn’t feel clusterphobic if I was sick and needed to spend an entire day inside. So again, I did what any improviser does… I said yes. 

My New Diggs as of Nov. 2

 Front Porch

Shared Kitchen

My Room

I'll be living in the neighborhood of Mt. Pleasant, just southeast of the city centre. (If you're looking at a map, I'm only a few blocks from City Hall)  I'll have access to both bus and skytrain lines in and out of downtown, as well as to the airport.   The street is quiet and tree-lined, but it's only a block and a half walk to some shopping and dining on Cambie. Also, the lease is month-to-month, so if my plans change or I just change my mind, I can leave within 30 days. All in all, a whirlwind of an apartment search and in the end, I was reminded that things go smoother when you just stop thinking.

In honor of my 'new home,' I purchased a throw pillow that evening at the Richmond Night Market.

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BIRDS!