Two weeks ago, I accepted a job offer in Cleveland. I could have chosen to start mid-May, but having been jobless since mid-November, I opted to start May 2nd. It’s a very fast time frame, but not impossible. We just need to find a place, pack up, and move in less than 3 weeks.
It’s proven to be slightly more complicated than we thought.
Right now, I’m just outside of Cleveland in an extended stay hotel with my husband and two cats. We made a weekend trip to Cleveland right after I accepted the job thinking we could easily find something in a day or so of looking… or rather, maybe I thought that. I’ve moved more times than I really care to count. I’ve found places to live over a weekend before, even places that I really liked. I’ve even found places and signed leases long distance without ever looking at the apartment. It’s worked out well 66% of the time. *cough* cockroach-ridden first apartment in grad school *cough*
I’m finding that Cleveland is an altogether different beast than the cities where I’ve lived before. All of my prior homes have been in young cities, growing cities, bursting at the seams with new developments and an overdose of suburban sprawl. Cleveland is older, perhaps wiser, more population dense, and filled with older apartments – beautiful old buildings – some revitalized and some left to age as old buildings do.
The niceties that I take for granted such as air conditioning, big windows, lots of room, speedy internet, and high ceilings aren’t carry overs from ages past. They’re certainly part of the downtown lofts that have turned retired knitting mills or hat factories into urban residential gems. But with each choice, you give up something else. Do I want to live downtown? Can we really afford to pay that much?
I’ve learned about myself in this process. I’m a little claustrophobic (thus, the higher ceilings). I crave open spaces and lots of light. I don’t like cozy, tidy, or snug housing. I want room to move, breathe, dance, run with the cats, and feel expansive. Could I live in a smaller space? Yes, but at the expense of a great many well-used bookcases.
We’ll find a place. I’m sure we’ll even find room for all the bookcases. Frustration-aside, I think I’m glad we didn’t find something right away. It’s given us a chance to explore the city, ourselves, and each other. We have a general idea where we want to live, what we want, and what we each need in a living space. We’ve been able to verbalize things that, in some cases, weren’t truly conscious before the experiences of the past few days. I value that and it’s worth it in the long run.
Now, I just need an address.
The dishwasher decided to expand its bubbly horizons onto our kitchen floor (much like in this picture). While the image isn’t our dishwasher, based on the number of images I found when searching for overflowing dishwashers, we aren’t alone.
