My Living Situation

How to move to LA

Step One: Pack up essential clothes, toiletries and a few pictures of people you love.

Step Two: Drive West.

Seriously, that’s about it. In a lot of ways it’s a very liberating experience to live only on necessities. Our lives are filled with far too much materialistic and emotional clutter. Prior to leaving my home in Ohio I literally cleaned out my closets… I did organizational things that had been on my to-do list for a couple years! Though I was very sad to be leaving, that part felt great.

Step Three: Find place to live.

Okay, it doesn’t hurt to know some people out here so you have a place to stay.

I am in a very interesting situation…

A lovely young woman I went to college with has been out here for a year. For the past couple months she’s lived with her boyfriend, who has the deal of the century on his apartment. While their wallets were totally up for living together, the same can not be said for the status of their relationship.

I grew up with “wholesome” values, however I think everyone should live with their mate before they commit their lives to them. Case in point, my friend and her boyfriend are just not compatible under one roof! He’s only lived in this country for a year and while she is strongly of the same heritage, the cultural differences are a big part of the problem.

She was looking for a place for her and me to move into before I got here, but then the boyfriend talked her into slowing down the search. He said I was welcome to stay in the second bedroom while she and I find the best possible apartment, as opposed to signing a lease hastily. Bottom line, he doesn’t want her to move out.

My predicament is that at first I wanted my friend to stay here too, so I could stay! It’s a wonderful apartment in a happening, safe neighborhood (boys town in West Hollywood), and the rent split between three of us would be peanuts! I’m talking better than a clearance sale at a freaking outlet mall! I felt bad though, because I obviously want to support my friend and not encourage her to stay in an unhappy situation.

I’ve only been here a week and like my friend, quality of living is already winning out over cost of living for me. Because we don’t know what we’re doing my things are still pretty much packed up. I have my own bathroom, which is great, but figuring out what to wear is a huge pain! I packed my clothes categorically in Space Bags. I definitely recommend Space Bags – you know, “as seen on TV!” The trouble is, I have to decide what to wear without seeing and thumbing through my options, then I have to find it in the correct bag, and then iron it. It’s even worse than “living out of a suitcase;” at least then there are usually predetermined outfits. My mood effects what I wear and how I look affects my mood… So as you can image not having my things in order is driving me crazy. I just want to be settled!!!

Despite the issues I mentioned about, my friend’s boyfriend is a great guy. He is fun, kind and welcoming; nonetheless, I am mindful that I’m in his apartment. They don’t use their dishwasher (stupid!), so I hate feeling like I have to be sure to have my dishes washed up before he gets home, etc…

So yesterday I went apartment hunting, and I was begrudgingly reminded what a great deal my friend currently has. Apartment hunting is such a time consuming pain in the ass! I hated it! Every apartment requires a $25 application fee so they can run a credit check and even after that there’s no guarantee you’ll get the place.

And just like that I’m back to thinking… “I can find a way to live out of Space Bags and endure the pain of sleeping on an air mattress!”