how to find your first apartment (in a city you've never been to)

Step 1: Search the entire internet for apartments (apartments.com, rent.com, forrent.com, apartmentguide.com and every website in between).

Step 2: Turn to the local (online) newspaper to expand your search options.

Step 3: Have your mom's coworker in another office (in the city you've moving to) overnight you the Sunday paper so that you can look for apartments in print.

Step 4: Call the apartments you've found that are semi-reasonable.

Step 5: Be told that the rent is at least $200 more than advertised on the websites/newspaper on every apartment you call. Oh, and they wont even accept your 3 pound tabby cat, despite the fact that they do not even know yet how neurotic she actually is, for being 3 pounds and all.

Step 6: Cry.

Step 7: Swear you're not even going to move since you cannot afford it.

Step 8: Discover that your mom's coworker has a friend in the area you're moving to.

Step 9: E-mail sweet, helpful friend of a friend of a friend.

Step 10: Receive lots of helpful advice on which area to concentrate your efforts and even an offer to help show you around when you actually come to said city for a visit.

Step 11: Once again search the entire internet for apartments in said specific area the friend of a friend of a friend suggested.

Step 12: Realize you cannot afford any apartments in the area.

Step 13: Repeat steps 6 & 7.

Step 14: Actually discover a cute, affordable apartment in the cute area suggested to your by the friend of a friend of a friend. It will even accept your cute little 3 pound tabby cat.

Step 15: Get your hopes up.

Step 16: Are told, once again, that the rent is $200 more than you expected to pay.

Step 17: Repeat steps 6 & 7.

Step 18: Search, search, search some more.