NC Meets DC: A Very Successful Outing

I meant to blog yesterday but I forgot. So, this one may be a doozy. If you don't have time to read the whole thing, then just know a) I found a place to live b) I ate some good food c) I broke the bus.

My mom and I set out early yesterday morning in search of an apartment. We did a test-run of the bus/metro transportation situation I'll be utilizing from my sister's house to work for the next few weeks. We found ourselves in Cleveland Park and were off on our adventure to find an apartment for me!

Well, actually, we first found scones and scrambled eggs at Firehook Bakery. But then we were on our way!

We searched for apartments high and low, knocked on doors (of leasing offices, not random tenants), and viewed several units. I learned that the "high-end" of my budget would need to become the "low-end" of my budget if I wished to live anywhere in DC or Virginia. We traipsed up and down Connecticut Ave, from Cleveland Park to Woodley Park and by the Zoo. (Sadly, there were no studio apartments available in the zoo.) (I'm setting my dad up for a joke with that one...)

The zoo.

After just three hours of apartment searching, I was getting tired and slightly cranky (my mom can probably attest to this). I'm not sure how I thought I'd spend three days searching for an apartment. We decided to head back to the Metro and look at another neighborhood. Mom said, "Let's just go look down this street. I know someone who used to live here." I didn't want to and I vocally expressed this sentiment. "Mom, that was, like, 30 years ago. I don't think I'll like it. Let's just go." Ugh, moms are always trying to make you do things you don't want to do.

Fortunately, moms are also usually right. How do they do that?

We went in the very ugly building to find a very lovely lobby with some very friendly people. The whole building was just recently (as in yesterday) renovated and they had studio apartments available. We saw a unit and it was great (as great as living in one room can be). They also had tons of amenities which weren't really on my priority list but hey, who am I to turn down a gym with a steam room and roof top sun deck? More importantly, they had free parking. I wouldn't get an assigned spot, but they said, among three parking lots, I shouldn't have much of a problem finding a space. That is HUGE.

I filled out an application and we decided I'd return on Saturday to sign the lease after they reviewed my info. [Almost] victory! With that, we treated ourselves to lunch at Lavandou and wait for the leasing agent to call. Spoiler alert: he didn't call until about 3 hours later when we were back home. But, I wasn't even thinking about it because I was so into my curried chicken salad.

After lunch, we made our way back home. This is when I broke the bus. I know you were waiting for that part of the story. So I didn't actually break the bus. The girl in front of me did. But, to the line of about 30 people standing behind us at the Pentagon waiting to board, it appeared I was the out-of-towner holding up the process. When the bus first pulled up, everything was fine. People were swiping their fare cards and making their way on.

Swipe...beep....swipe....beep...swipe...beep.

Then, little-miss-raincoat in front of me went, swipe....beep...kreshserrreeeekker. In case you aren't familiar with that sound, it is the sound of a fare box dying. So the next person (ME) goes to swipe her card (like a pro, might I add) and it's swipe...swipe...swipe...ugh...

The driver takes the card and tries. No luck. He restarts the box. No luck. I keep looking out the window at the line of people waiting and want to say, "It's not me you guys! I'm a pro at the bus. I did it this morning!" While I won't take credit for breaking the bus, I will take credit for providing everyone with a free bus ride that afternoon. Don't say I never gave you anything, riders of bus 7F.

How's that for a total let-down of a story? I had to make it sound more dramatic in the beginning so that you would keep reading.

Long story short, it was successful day and I HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE. I signed the lease this morning and will soon be a proud resident of Cleveland Park.