One Year Ago...

One year ago I packed up 3 bags and boarded the red-eye to NYC. I remember it was sooooo COLD that morning. A cold that I now refer to as 'not Utah cold'. When I arrived at my 'temporary' place at 7 AM, I lugged the bags up the steps and into a long hallway. At the end of the hall was apartment 1A. I unlocked the door and dragged my bags in. I looked around and something wasn't right. I noticed a couple of packed suitcases in the living room. Bathroom items in the bathroom and a half eaten piece of toast on the counter. I realized that someone must still be occupying this apartment. I tiptoed into the bedroom and I could see the outline of a person sound asleep in the bed. What to do???? I was sooo cold and tired....I had a key to this place....I was scheduled to meet a broker to look for an apartment at 10 AM and I needed some rest. I figured that this person was supposed to be leaving before I arrived and there was some overlap. I decided to lay down on the couch and take a rest. I covered myself in my coat and put my headphones in my ears and slept. I heard an alarm go off and the 'lady' got up and got ready to go. I did not know what she was saying on her phone because she was speaking a different language. I now know it was Portuguese. I heard the suitcase zip up and the door shut. Just as I drifted off again I heard the door open again and another person enter the apartment....speaking Portuguese. She was the cleaning lady. I told her to go ahead and clean around me. When I woke up, the place was clean and ready for my short stay.

After my morning rest, I got showered and dressed and went to meet my broker. He took me around to 13 different apartments all over the city. I narrowed my choice of apartments down to three and put in my application. By the next day I had signed my lease and was scheduled for move in. I have to say it was much easier to find a place after all of the advice from Jeremy on what not to do.