Day 554

I'm house hunting. AGAIN. I'm not sure if I can tell you all just how much I hate moving, and how much it pains me that I have to pack everything up and move it all yet again. I've been in my house now for almost 10 months, and I LOVE it. There is a great park a few blocks away. The kitchen is nice and perfectly sized. My bedroom is huge with 3 huge closets. And I have my own bathroom (with a tub) connected to my room.

Yes, my rent is ridiculously expensive to any of you not living in this town. My rent is more expensive than most of my friend's mortgages in Little Rock. But in this town that doesn't get a lot, and I think for what I pay, I really get my money's worth, unlike most other places I saw when I was looking a year ago.

My roommate for the past three years, Helen, is moving back to Little Rock, and I'm very sad to see her go. I toyed with the idea of just staying here and taking on another roommate, but with much thought and a bit of fear of ending up with a total stranger, I decided that it is time to move into a place of my own.

I wish so much I could just buy, but I don't have the few hundred thousand lying around it would cost to buy a studio (not even one bedroom, but studio) apartment in this city. Ugh! So, I'm just going to have to suck it up and flush my money down the toilet in rent still. Ugh! Do you see how frustrating this is?

The good news is, 1) my lease ends July 31st, so I have plenty of time to find a place, 2) I own a car, which means I'm not limited to where I can live...I don't have to be right next to a metro stop or bus route, 3) I don't have to base my decision on anyone else. I have to admit, this sense of total self-reliance is a bit exhilarating.

The bad news is, 1) rent is certain to go up, as are bills, since I have no one to split them with (trying to find a place with utilities included, but this is not too common), 2) I have to find a place big enough to fit all my stuff, once again most likely raising the price of my place, 3) I have to find a place with a washer/dryer in unit...I REALLY don't want to have to deal with taking my laundry out...once again raising the price...UGH!

I know, not really much to bitch about when you think of all the things going on in this world, but this is at least frustrating to me. The older I get, the harder it is for me to not have control over this, and to not have a place of my own. I'm not talking much, but at least a place I can paint and decorate as I wish and garden and have friends over without having to deal with the aftermath. I guess it just all comes with living in a big city like Washington.