apartments.

It's late and I know my sister is going to come wake me up for breakfast in a few short hours, but I wanted to synthesize some thoughts about my upcoming move.  Something more than a smiley emoticon and tons of exclamation points... so... apartments.


I'm moving into my first apartment.  I wish I could fast forward time to Sunday (move in day), or at least Saturday because then Sunday would be tomorrow and there would be a ton of things to be busy doing.  Right now there is just a lot of mundane getting things ready, and Sunday really marks the beginning of a lot of new things.  Sunday I move in and then Monday I go to Boston for some work training.  (note: I tried to get my lease moved to August 1st but they ain't havin' it, oh well).  I'm starting a new job!  I'm moving to a new city!  I'm living in my first apartment!  I have a studio all to myself!  I'm earning my teaching credential!  I'm headed down the path of what will (hopefully) be my forever career!  Oh, jeez.

I'm excited. I'm beyond excited.  I'm terrified.  I've literally have never lived in an apartment.  I grew up at home.  I went to college and lived in a dorm.  I moved out of said dorm and into a co-op.   I graduated.  I moved back home.  I travelled around the USA living in my car for six months.  Then I lived at home again.  Which brings me to now, twenty-five and just now moving into my first apartment.

Let me tell you (theoretical you) about the search.

Oh man.

So, I am moving to Oakland.  I live in San Jose, which is in the same metro area (the Bay Area) and about forty-five minutes away.  I knew some people living in the East Bay (where Oakland is), but only a handful and nobody who really needed a roommate.  So I did what all people do, I looked on Craigslist.  At first it was exciting.  Every post was a potential place!  Then after a few days it was more like looking for a job in its hopelessness and tedium and apartment searching gave me a headache.

I looked at a few places in Fruitvale (a neighborhood in Oakland).  When I'd ask about the safety of the neighborhood, literally every landlord I met up with said "Well, this is East Oakland..."I didn't have any  problem with the Fruitvale neighborhood (it's a colorful, working class community), but my parents talked me out of it.  I mean, I guess the rents were pretty high for the quality of the units anyway.

I met up with some people looking for roommates in various neighborhoods in Oakland.  Trying to find a group of strangers to let you live with them is just about the HARDEST THING EVER.  The more desirable the room, the more people they have from the internet who are probably way more impressive than me.  Sigh.  I am still open to living with people possibly next year, when I have a larger network.  Trying to convince strangers that I am cool, not crazy, and will pay the rent is just a game I'm gonna have to sit out of.

I read in a couple of articles that an effective way to look for an apartment is to just walk around in a neighborhood you'd like to live in as many apartments never end up on the internet.  It was in looking around the Lake Merritt neighborhood in Oakland with my mother that I found my place.  I thought it was too high on the upper end of my budget, but my mom convinced me to take a look at it.  Once I did, I was a goner.

It's beautiful!  The building is right across the street from Lake Merritt.  My unit doesn't have a lake view or anything, but it's still great.  It's a studio with a tiny kitchen, but plenty of space (no, really).  I'm even going to put my bed in my huge walk-in closet.

It's going to be great, I think, and I can't wait to make it home.  Cozy.  Beautiful.  All that.

I am a little afraid to live alone.  In college I always had roommates.  As in not one, but TWO other girls IN the room with me.

Yeah, it was crazy.  Oftentimes, awful.  I had a few totally balls to the wall crazy experiences.  So really, I am totally apprehensive about having roommates but was willing to do it because, you know, C.R.E.A.M.

But I guess it ended up that I'm going to live alone.  I am kind of scared.  I'm sure that being alone in what is essentially a big box will be creepy sometimes.  I have misanthropic tendencies that may be amplified by isolation.  I'm gonna need to learn a lot more about budgeting.  And keeping house.  And cooking food for one.  I don't know.  I don't care.  I just can't wait.


oh wow. I don't usually write long, drawn out serious shit like this.