It looks like I'll be in an apartment by this weekend. I've been approved by the owner of the condo, signed an application & lease and provided a deposit, and I'm now waiting for an "interview" with the condo association president. Seems rather snooty, but believe me, it's not that kind of place. I guess it's comforting to think that the complex where I want to live at least checks everyone out personally before letting them move in.
The building kind of looks like a small hotel. There's a lot of those in Florida - little condo buildings of 2-4 stories, maybe a dozen to several dozen units around a cental courtyard or, like mine, a pool. They have that quaint 50-60's vibe and are pretty well kept if not glamorous. The best part about the one I'm in is that it's just 2 blocks from the heart of downtown Hollywood. Think Main Street in Newark with palm trees. It's less college town and more urban rennaisance, and it feeds into a huge traffic circle that is the centerpiece of the cities downtown events. The circle is surrounded by almost everything I'll need: grocery and drug stores, coffee shops, PNC bank (yes, they're down here), and, if I can't afford the gym, a pole dancing exercise studio. That's all they apparently offer, and sometimes they even have the curtains open at night while classes are going on. Ok, ok...I'll post a picture if I get a chance.
In the meantime, here's my apartment building.
http://g.co/maps/hk74d
I'm not sure how long ago this picture was taken because there are a lot more trees and it's not quite as desolate looking as it appears here.
So, I'll be moving into this apartment later this week and it should take me.....about an hour. I mean, the only furniture I crammed into my car for the drive down was a makeup table and jewelry armoire. Space sacks stuffed the remaining space full of clothes and yarn, with just two small boxes of personal items. That's it. As I said in a previous post, it's strange to realize what you believe to be important to you when you've only so much room to allot for those possessions.
And so this one bedroom apartment will have a closet full of clothes, plenty of yarn, and those two furniture pieces. Nothing. Else. I'm not even sure how I'll sleep for a little while since I'm using all the money I feel comfortable allotting to get this place. It reminds me of approximately 25 years ago when I got my first place after my divorice. The kids and I had mattresses on bed frames, a small wooden dinette set and a TV. We sat on the floor and leaned against the wall to watch TV at night. I think we lived like that for at least 6 months until my boyfriend at the time got sick of visiting an apartment in that condition (I suppose) and bought me a living set from This End Up. I still have that damn furniture in my house in Delaware, and I have to admit I'm not sorry to have to do without it.
At 49 years old, here I am again - starting over. Sure, I have a "treasure trove" of worldly possessions back in Delaware, but as I told someone the other day, "Why pay to have all my second and third hand junk brought down here when I can just buy new junk." Goodwill, here I come.
There's something fun about being able to start over though. And although I won't have money to buy anything fancy and new, it's all new to me and will be all mine.
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