how to find your first apartment: part 2

Step 1: Find an apartment that looks too good to be true.

Step 2: Call the too-good-to-be true apartment and discover that it might not be too good to be true after all. Hallelujah.

Step 3: Sucker one of your best friends into going on an impromptu road trip with you the very next day.

Step 4: Drive 3.5 hours (plus 3 stops for food, gas, and a drink) across the entire state. Paying no less than $5 in tolls. And believe that the $2.50 to get onto Alligator Alley was definitely not worth the price of admission.

Step 5: Drive in the pouring rain at times.

Step 6: Get lost only one time. Pay .50 to get back onto the interstate.

Step 7: Thank your lucky stars that you suckered one of your best friends into coming with you or your less than stellar sense of direction would have gotten you even more lost.

Step 8: Tour the apartment.

Step 9: Picture all of your furniture and decorations that you've been collecting over the past few months in the space of the apartment.

Step 10: Think it'll all look pretty damn fabulous in the space.

Step 11: Picture yourself cooking... um... ordering takeout in the lovely kitchen.

Step 11: Ask if they accept neurotic, 3 pound tabby cats. Only, you leave out the neurotic bit.

Step 12: They do! Hallelujah.

Step 13: Congratulations, you've found the place you'll be living in 9 weeks.

Step 14: Drive 3.5 hours back home, getting lost only shortly while you try to find food but discover everything is painted the same color. Odd.

Step 15: Get back home.

Step 16: Realize that you have to move in only 9 weeks.

Step 17: Cry.

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.