to roommate or not to roommate...

For a while, I've been considering whether or not to have a roommate when I move to Ecuador. I keep weighing it out, and sometimes it seems like a good idea, and other times, not.

Here are the benefits to having a roommate:

• Financial savings--The school gives us each $300 a month for housing, so if I had a roommate, we could get a really nice place and not have to pay as much out of pocket.
• Safety--Single females are not advised to be out on their own after dark in Quito, and it gets dark early there (6 or 6:30.) If I had a roommate that ran in the same social circle or that I got along with, we could go out to dinner or to shop and be out past dark.
• Companionship--Once again, someone with whom to go places or cook dinner. (This is once again provided that my roommate is someone with whom I would get along. I know that does not always happen.)

Then there are the drawbacks...

• Privacy--No running from the bathroom in just my skivvies if there's another person in the apartment.
• Drama--I have lived with roommates in the past (okay, during college) and there was always drama. Putting two or more females in the same living environment can sometimes lead to real disaster.
• General Awareness--Having a roommate means having to be just a little more mindful of everything: not leaving dishes in the sink, checking with the roommate before inviting people over, etc. I like being able to not sweep the floor if I don't feel like it, or spend the whole day in my pajamas without anyone making a comment. I would also need to find someone who would be okay with rooming with me and my cat.
  

So I'm pretty much up in the air on this topic. I guess I'm going to wait until I get there and see if I meet another new hire that I think I could room with for awhile at least. It's going to be interesting...