Into the Wild...Let the Hunt Begin #18

Reality of Ending Graduate School Part II: Finding a New Home.

I think I mentioned that I spent last weekend looking at apartments for when I move in (less than) three weeks. I thought I found a place that was perfect for me. Three days after I see the place and I am under the impression I have secured a new home, I get a call from the realtor telling me the owner backed out and is not putting this particular room up for rent anymore. COME ON! I was so happy and relaxed because I thought all I had to do for the next two weeks was focus on finishing up graduate school and participating in graduation. Now I have to start from square one and line up new places to look at and make another trip down to the area. The drive itself is about 3.5 hours away. Not what you would call "close." Also, the routes to get to the place, of course, are perhaps the most notorious highways in all of the northeast. You may say, "Quit exaggerating! You're so dramatic!" Well, you sit in my driver's seat for those 3.5 hours during rush hour and maybe you'll change that tune.

So I made a second trip to visit places and this time went much smoother than the first. Maybe because I'm getting used to driving around the area so I was less stressed. Each place I saw I knew I could live in, it was just a matter of comparing what was better. I have to take into consideration the cost, commute, amenities, and space. After weighing all the pros and cons, I have decided to suck up a little bit of a longer commute than what I'm used to currently a more open floor plan and separate living areas (not a studio). For graduate school, my commute is literally 10 minutes. This new place that I'm going to try and secure is going to be about 15 minutes without traffic, and probably 25-30 minutes during rush hour. It might not sound like that big of a deal, but with bad city traffic, apparently it can get frustrating.

I'm excited though I don't want to get my hopes up. If this place works out, I'm just minutes away from a beautiful state park, shopping, grocery stores, banks, and the train station. It's a really nice location, just like my original choice from last week. I'm the type of person that moves to a new place and really likes to settle in. I don't like to move around a lot. I prefer to dig in my roots. For example, in graduate schools, I stayed in the same house share for all two years. I just like to get comfortable and make the strange familiar.

It's going to feel very real that I am starting this new chapter in my life when I move into my new place. Just please cross your fingers for me that this one will work out and I will not have to make another trip to view other apartments. I love craigslist.org but honestly, my eyes may pop out if I have to sort through more apartment listings!