Ugh. I'm 'working' on the application as we speak. I was about to just forget about it, but then one of my referees emailed with a friendly 'Hey, I just got your ref. letter in, good luck' and so I kind of have to do it. I'm putting in the application, for tomorrow evening (online), whether it's done well. I'm more doing this for peace of mind - I know I'd like to do a phd eventually, it's just whether its now or after I'm teaching for a while - but at this point I just want the stupid thing done and be finished with the era of applications!

Living alone, in my experience, is awesome. I'm living with the boyfriend right now, but I still look back on those blissful few months a few years ago when I lived alone. Ah, memories.

Finding the right roommate is a toughie, I'd say live alone for a while and see how it goes. Either way, you're going to have a lot less stress.