Pre-trip Diary: Subletting

My pre-trip to-do list has been so long, and as I get closer to my departure date it feels like more "things to do" keep popping up. I guess life doesn't stop for you when you want to take a month long holiday, huh? I've been tackling the list pretty well, saving, figuring out bills, packing my apartment, and so on. Everything had been going as planned so far, and just when I thought it was smooth sailing (or flying) from here, my subletter changed her mind on the apartment. There's never a shortage of people who need apartments in NYC so I wasn't panicking, but I did want to have everything sorted out sooner than later.

I have so much to cram in to the next few days and now I'm squeezing in sorting through craigslist ads and showing the apartment. My boyfriend makes fun of me because I get attached to the people I've met and really do want to help everyone find a place, which probably makes the search process much more time consuming than it has to be. I guess I've just been in their shoes before and know how tough it is to find a good, affordable living situation in New York. I feel like I'm a pro at craigslist by now. It's crazy the lengths we go to to live in this frustratingly lovable city.

Last night, after I was done showing the apartment, I rented a Zipcar and took the things I had packed to my storage space in Jersey. By the time I got there it was 9:30 PM and already dark out. I never realized how creepy a storage space can be late at night with nobody else there. I kept getting flashes of Dexter and other scary movie scenes, and braced myself for a murderer who was dumping a body or looking for a fresh kill. I have an active imagination. After I was done with that dusty, sweaty job, I drove over to a clothing drop box to donate some clothes that I was finally able to part with. That was another scary setting. The parking lot was empty and pitch black and I imagined the people who could be rifling through a clothing drop box late at night. Just as I parked I saw some headlights coming towards me. Who else would decide to donate clothes at this hour, I wondered. A large pick-up truck pulled up next to me and four shirtless boys, who didn't look old enough to drive, hopped out. I waited in my car for a minute, sure that they were about to beat me with bats and stick me up for my worn t-shirts and old slutty dresses. Coincidentally, to my relief, they too were just dropping off old clothes, never even looking my way. How anti-climatic.

So that was one more exciting thing crossed off my to-do list. I just showed the apartment to the last person today and hopefully will be making a decision tonight and getting that out of the way. The last guy had his mom with him and she was just the sweetest lady ever and I almost want to rent the place to him just because of his mom. There I go getting all personal with my decision again. Anyway, we're hoping to pick someone tonight so wish me luck!

*Update: Found a sublet! Ended up going with the guy who came with his mom. She sent me the sweetest note thanking me for helping him set off on his "new adventure." Aww.