I Moved Out!

Announcement: I just moved into an apartment for the first time!

After 5 years of looking, saving, and praying I finally have an apartment and one of my best friends is my roommate; how fun does that sound?!

Let me tell you that this experience has been overwhelming but was overall amazing at the same time. Like I said, I’ve been looking for an apartment for 5 (ish) years, since I was 17, I’m almost 22 now. It was a God send when I went to look at a potential apartment near my boyfriend’s job when my best friend, Quinn, texted me and said she was seriously wanting to move into an apartment. Following that, I showed her the complex I looked at that day and she really liked it; that got the ball rolling. Within a week we chatted details, applied, got approved, and signed the agreements. It took us a couple weeks for the reality to sink in; we have an apartment!

A month later we moved in. Over those four weeks I started packing up clothes, books, mugs, dishes, etc., with the anticipation that something might go wrong... Every time I’m looking forward to something, planning for the event, and planning for things after event something almost always changes... and I was praying that the whole wouldn’t fall through. When I found this apartment, I had great leave about it. I toured their one bed one bath model and fell in love because at that point I had planned on moving in by myself, but since Quinn seriously wanted to move out a two bed two bath apartment became available a few days later which, like I said above, we got approved within a week for it. However, we were walking into this one totally blind. Quinn more so than I because she had only seen the photos and layout from apartments.com. I had only seen their one bed one bath model and the photos on the website and the layout, so when I knew I wasn’t going to be able to see it I still had leave about this decisions because God’s timing is always perfect.

Move-in day comes... I am in a panic.

ACTUALLY... Let me back up.

Day before move-in comes... there is so much to do, so little time and on top of that IT’S RAINING! My coworker let us buy her washer and dryer she was getting rid of from her aunt’s house and we drove half an hour to go pick them up. We got them loaded just fine, then on the way home it started raining, not just a drizzle but a down pour! From there we needed to pick up the U-Haul trailer from the rental building at 3:00... it was already 3:15 and we were still 10 minutes from home because dad forgot something to attach to the hitch. Me, being the planner that I am, was texting the people who I asked to come and help because they were all meeting at my house at 4:00. We were definitely NOT going to make it back to the house by 4:00.

We get to U-Haul... they can’t find the right trailer... the number they had assigned to me wasn’t there. *insert facepalm* in my mind I was thinking “you had one job” but I digress... how hard is it to lose a 6’x12’ trailer... okay, now I am done.

ANYWAY. They get another trailer, attach it to my dad’s truck and off we go. Only about 45 minutes late. My boyfriend and Quinn’s brother were already at the house waiting to help load up. “Everything goes,” my mother said as she is pointing aimlessly at the boxes and bins and bags filling our living room. And so they begin loading. And loading. And loading. I come downstairs five minutes after they started and, WOW, I could see the living room floor.

I have a lot of stuff.

Like, a LOT of stuff...

After about an hour and a half it was all loaded. A few more friends showed up and helped load the big stuff. The couch, dresser, chest of drawers, and a few other big things. We’re all done, and my boyfriend comes up to me with a look on his face... something was up.

“Babe, I know you’re planning on cleaning when you get there” he said, quietly, “but we packed the vacuum cleaner toward the back”

*insert facepalm*

I couldn’t be mad at him. He is literally the cutest when he is trying to tell me bad news. But it was frustrating. Don’t y’all pay attention to what the item is before packing it. Like it was literally still in its original box not even opened yet.

ALRIGHT... move-in day comes... I’m in a panic... NOTHING GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN...

We get the final things packed into my car, mom’s car, and the truck and set out to meet the rest of the extended family at the apartment. I park in front of the office, walk in to get the keys and turns out they weren’t even cut yet! Like, really? I mean, I can understand that the previous renters got their key stuck in the lock and the lock had to be replaced, but you had a few days to get that fixed and the keys cut. Com’on! Oh, and they didn't have the mailbox keys ready either. At the time of writing this, I still didn't have them.

30 minutes later I get my keys and the move-in check list and begin the hike up to the third floor. Yea, we have a third-floor apartment. Oh, what fun. (it is to ride in a one horse...Sara stop, it’s not Christmas time) opening the building door (which was currently awaiting replacement because of the whole COVID stuff [don’t know exactly why, but all I got was "it needed to be replaced because of the pandemic"] so this is one slight, temporary red flag) I'll make sure not to just open the door if someone knocks; not that I normally do that, though.

Whoa... weed and cigarette stench clouded the stairwell up to the apartment. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, it was humid that day, so the humidity was probably bringing the smell out more; however, it was bad. The windows were even open in the hallways so I was hoping that it would air out soon. Anyway, let's go see the apartment.

Key slides in... Door unlocks... handle turns... Door opens...

I was honestly expecting the inside of the apartment to smell like smoke, but it DIDN'T! It smelled clean. It looked clean! I was seriously about to cry when I saw how perfect this apartment was and I am very glad I waited as long as I did for the right place.

Things I love about this place:

• The kitchen was recently updated
• My room is bigger than my old room
• I have a bathroom to myself
• two sliding glass doors
• L shaped balcony
• Balcony is HUGE
• HUGE windows
• Wood burning fireplace
• Hardwood floors (or at least fake hardwood floors, vinyl maybe?) everywhere except bedrooms.
• Vaulted Ceiling in the living room
• So much counter and cabinet space

Things I don't quite like about this place:

• The smell of smoke out in the stairwell
• The old-style thermostat (it works, so that is all that really matters)
• Water pressure in the shower is low
• My bedroom has a door that leads to the "communal balcony" on the front of the building. (This has its pros and cons. Currently it is our fire escape plan)
• That door which has a window on it, is the only window in my room. Which I have been keeping closed.

Thank you to everyone who helped with this move.

Thank you all so much for reading through this.

If you have read any of my other material you've probably noticed I am a freelance photographer/videographer. This move allows me to have more of my own space to work on my projects, however I am in need of new equipment, especially a computer.

If you would like to help support my freelance photography and videography business please leave a tip/donation here on Vocal; it is always very much appreciated.

Thank you all for your support as I begin this new adventure.

Stay tuned for more posts!