Piso Hunters International

   
       I'll admit, I'm not really a big watcher of t.v. shows. However, many times after getting home late from work this past year I have found myself flipping channels (as I only manage to do when I'm dead tired but not yet able to sleep) and almost every time HGTV's House Hunters International is right there waiting for me. And even though the host often butchers the names of foreign cities, the house hunters turn out to be waaay too picky, and the houses (more like mansions) are oftentimes worth millions of dollars, the show is always there to remind me of one thing: Dream big. All that money saved through waitressing will get me somewhere as long as I don't stop believing its possible to pack up everything and go somewhere new.

And look where I am now. On my own personal episode of the show. Brought to you by Desperation Inc., Hopeful.com and Anxious & Co.... Piso Hunters International.

My ideal piso would have:
- Young Spanish roommates
- Internet
- Heat/AC
- A balcony (always wanted one :)
- Close to the bus station (I will need to take a bus to get to the nearby town where my school is each day)
- Supermarket nearby

Here are my options: 

{Piso #1} A charming little flat with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a balcony and all the basic amenities, with heat and AC only in the main living area. This house comes in as the cheapest of the three at 110 euros/month + utilities. It is also the option farthest from the bus station. The young working woman that showed me the flat (a native española) was wonderful and sold it to me based on her personality alone. However, she did admit that she may be moving abroad in the near future to look for work. The other guy renting a room there is only around during the week to study at the university and heads home on the weekends.

{Piso #2} A decently priced flat very close to the bus station, supermarkets and just as a bonus... the town's bull fighting arena. It is a very modern, well kept flat with 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, and my own balcony. It even has a dryer (gasp) and internet, but no heating units. The woman renting the flat is a 30-something españoleta. The other roommate happens to be another language and culture assistant like myself who will be commuting to and from the same town everyday as well and speaks little Spanish.

{Piso #3} The final flat is 120 euros/month + utilities, which includes 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, a small living space and a balcony. Although it is still a bit farther from the bus station it is very centrally located to everything else. Internet will be installed soon and until then nearby wifi connections can be used. After a long and friendly showing of the flat, I have already made friends with the sisters that own it. My future roommates are both girls, 19 & 20, studying at the university who also go back to their hometowns on the weekends. However, both the roommates smoke inside and the flat is the least modern of the three I've seen.

So which one will I pick? Stay tuned while we take a small commercial break...

(One thing I'm still unsure of though... how do they manage to fit all that in a 22 minute segment?)