Where Next?

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to extend my stay here in Crete until the end of May, 2010, if I can find an appropriate new place to move into when my contract with my current landlord expires at the end of November.

The house I'm living in now has already been rented to others, so staying here is not an option. Even if it wasn't slated for new occupants, I don't think that it would have been an option for me because I'm going to have to drastically reduce expenses in order to stay longer, and the rent on this place is about 350 euros more per month than I can afford going forward. Also, I'll be ditching the rental car, which runs me about 550 euros a month now. Having no car requires that I find a location that is more central to things like a supermarket, public transport, etc. So I'm looking at either moving into the town of Kastelli, or to central Chania.

My Greek tutor, Elenie, is going to sit down with me and help me go through the apartment classified's in the Χανιωτικα Νεα, Chania's weekly newspaper. Once I have a basic translation for everything (utilities, furnished, no pets, etc.) then I can start looking for something on my own.

To be honest, the whole prospect has me a bit anxious. Although I'm paying too much for where I live right now, I have the convenience of everything being included, and a western, English-speaking landlord with whom it is very simple to communicate. If I am going to find someplace within my price range, there are several things that I may to need to give up (in addition to the car) that make me a bit queasy. The first and most important being an internet connection. Sure...I can always take my laptop to a hotspot, but it's just not the same. If I want to Skype with someone back home, I don't want to do so in the middle of some cafe. If I want to post on my blog, or a wine forum, I'd like to be able to do it when the urge strikes me without having to get dressed and walk to someplace with wireless. Aside from the internet, I'm also concerned about potential miscommunications with a Greek landlord. God knows I've had enough trouble making myself understood in various shops around here...I can only imagine what might ensue when trying to discuss rental terms.

In addition to anxiety over finding a new place, the dissolution of my already tiny social network here has me feeling frustrated. Back to the drawing board I guess (I am SO not good at meeting new people).