Biting the Bullet

Just made a last-minute decision to travel to the city where I’ll be for the next 3 years this weekend.

My missions this weekend: looking at summer sublets; interviewing half a dozen people for my company; putting recruiting flyers around the various campuses in the city.

There are more unstructured missions, as well.

I realized this week that in order to find an apartment that both Boyfriend and I will like, I first need to understand what we are looking for. And to do that, I need to first walk around the campus and the city and try to get a sense of neighborhoods, geography, atmosphere, distances, etc.

Right now, there are so many things I don’t know. I don’t know which neighborhood is better than others. I don’t know which street is hipper and which street is quiet. I don’t know where students “tend to” live. I have no idea whether “20 minutes walking to …” really means 20 minutes or just a figure of speech. All the names of places are meaningless to me. I have no idea whether the bus system and the subway are useful or just frustrating.

My ignorance is staggering. It’s depressing.

I guess I’ll start by just going there and being there, and try to learn as much as I can.

Just as important, I really need to begin to try to IMAGINE what it’s like to actually live in this city. I need to begin to picture myself going to school and going back home each day, settling into a routine, calling that place “home”.

Right now “moving” is such an abstract concept. Thinking about it gives me a headache every time. But it needs to be done soon, and I don’t have that much time. (This summer it’s going to be so busy it will be insane.)

When I’m actually there, I’ll be able to picture myself living there better. Perhaps I can be inspired, or at least just have more basis for deciding about where I would like to live; what an ideal arrangement would be; what’ the price range is; in what directions I should strive for.

God, it’s so hard to find a place in a city that you know nearly nothing about. But the only way I can overcome this obstacle is … to go there and begin to live there… NOW!