Life in Michigan (and the horrors of buying my car)

Well, I've lived in Michigan for about 2.4 weeks now, and I'm finally feeling settled in. These last two weeks have been the most hectic and boring of this year. Moving in, first off, was extremely chaotic, even with the help of my parents, kristin, and her dad. I was buying a lot of new thing, including (but not limited to) a bed, a desk, lamps, desk chair, book cases, etc...

Of course, the biggest purchase we made in the last two weeks (and the most hectic), was a car. First, my parents and I (Kristin and her dad were gone by this point) went around different dealers, comparing prices and features. Eventually, after about 2 hours, I settled on (and they agreed to pay for) a 2010 Titanium Kia Soul +, also known as the hamster car (because of the commercial with the hamsters...). That's when things got complicated. Apparently, and I have no idea why, I needed to have a Michigan Driver's License or State ID to buy a car in Michigan. Ok, no problem, I'll just go to the Secretary of State office and get a State ID. Not so easy...

To get a State ID or Driver's License in the State of Michigan, I needed to prove I lived in Michigan, by showing not one, but two proofs of recidency. Well, I had just moved in, so I had no mail. The only thing I had was the contract for the apartment I was renting...

By this point, needless to say, my parents and I were very frustrated. We decided to wait and see if I would get a piece of mail (one of the guys at the dealership actually sent me a letter, but we didn't know if I would get it on time...). In the meantime, we went around Ann Arbor, trying to finish other important things, like getting my M-card (Student ID for the University of Michigan) and opening a bank account. At the bank, however, we were able to get a letter from the teller which basically "proved" my recidency.

We then went to the Secretary of State Office, about 1 hour before they closed, with a huge line. However, I just wanted to get this over with, so I stayed. I filled out the form for a State ID, and then the person at the counter tells me I need to get a Driver's Licence, since applying for a State ID will (somehow) cancel my Puerto Rico Driver's License. Of course, this might mean I need to take the written driver's test. Not having driven much for the past 4 years, I wasn't sure how well I'd do, but I quickly leafed through a study book, and most of the things seemed like common sense. After I was more or less ready to take the test, the person comes back and tells me (to my relief and mild irritation) that I didn't have to take the test. They took my picture, and told me my ID would arrive in the mail in about a week (which it did, although I'm not entirely sure why they couldn't just give it to me then and there.)

Anyway, by this point, everyone was tired, but I felt like I had just accomplished a major thing. The next day, we went back to the dealer, and got the car (Finally!).

Well, my parents went back home, and I got ready for the Rackham Summer Institute (SI). The orientation was fun and informative (although the taxes protion confused the crap out of me), and I met a lot of new people, including everyone who will be in my class over the summer (Mathematical and Research Skills for Engineering and the Physical Sciences). Now I'm getting ready for the class (which starts tomorrow), and things have since calmed down a bit (sometimes a bit too much, it can get really boring sometimes...) Hopefully, this will be the beginning to a great time in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan.