Laundromat Friends

Who would’ve thought you could make friends at the Laundromat! Today started out so great with a drive into LA for lunch with Chrystal at Joan’s on Third. I might make it my first Yelp! Review on my bucket list. It was definitely a learning experience driving on the 405 to the restaurant/deli and back. I’m a slow (I like to think cautious) driver so driving around LA is definitely new to me: the fast lane switching, the high speeds. It’ll take some getting used to.

After lunch, I decided to try and figure out how I’m going to do my laundry for the rest of the time I’m here. Since I’m renting out a guesthouse, there isn’t any laundry in my unit so it’s off to the Laundromat. Before today, I’ve never used a Laundromat. I wasn’t sure how long the wash cycle would take or the dryer. I spent all morning being anxious about how to do my laundry there: do I stay there and watch my laundry? Can I leave it there and come back for it later? Will someone try and steal my clothes? Who will see my clothes? MY UNDERWEAR!? Luckily, there was a nice man there would frequented both the Laundromat and Berkeley! He let me know that the 25 cents I put into the dryer was ten minutes and I figured 30 minutes was good enough. He was really nice and told me about his time in Berkeley, which is not so different from what it is today.

I also made my first Redondo Beach friend at the Laundromat! It was his first time at the Laundromat as well because his washing machine broke at home but how lucky that someone else decided to do laundry in the middle of the day! My social life won’t be as stunted as I feared!

Going to the Laundromat is definitely not an anxiety attack scenario but being in a new area and doing something that I normally do in the comfort of my own home can be frightening. But I had nothing to fear. I went in with a fistful of dollars and they had a quarter dispensing machine. The machines are not unlike the ones I used in college - well the dryer was industrial sized and I think I could have definitely fit my whole self in there. But Laundromats aren't so bad. I'll have to find a good time every week to get my laundry done, but if I don't wait too long between loads, I don't think I'll ever have a problem.

I’m packing for Baltimore and Boston but I am procrastinating till the end as always. If there is a skill a learned from college, it’s procrastination.

And So Starts the Single Living

My family left this morning and left me to fend for myself. I’m only going to be alone for two days and then I’m off to Baltimore to visit my sister for a few days. I went to Trader Joe’s to pick up a few groceries and make myself some lunch. My kitchen is much smaller than the one I had while living in my college apartment and there are a few miscellaneous workarounds I have to do deal with but I think it made it work.

I made a chicken breast with mushrooms and Brussels sprouts on the side. Because my sink is smaller than I’m used to and I only have a hot water tap, I had to be a little more efficient and clean up without leaving anything in the sink and the scalding hot water. No matter though, it worked out in the end and I had a lovely lunch and enough for dinner too!

I also booked my shuttle to the airport so I feel pretty accomplished for today. I want to go for a quick run too but I’m feeling a bit lethargic after lunch. But I do need to work towards that 100 mile goal. Tomorrow, I’ll going on the endeavors of coin Laundromats and maybe a little packing for the East Coast. Stay tuned for the adventures of single living!

Important Questions When Apartment Hunting

So as you probably know, I’ve been apartment hunting this weekend for a place down in SoCal. My move there is coming up and it was time to solidify my living situation. Otherwise, as my dad said, “You could just live in a tent on a beach.” Not sure that would be the best solution…

Anyway, I came up with a list of things that you might want to ask about when looking at/inquiring about an apartment:

Parking – if you’re living in a big commuter area and having a car is the best way to get to work, you’ll want to ask about parking. Something apartments have an included parking space, some don’t and you’ll have to park on the street, and others charge an extra monthly fee for a parking space. It’s always good to ask even if you don’t have a car just in case you decide to get one later!

Laundry – laundry is something you’re going to have to do. It’s always good to know if it’s included in the unit or off site or if you’re going to have to drive a ways to go do it. Most places have coin-operated machines but it’s good to check with whoever’s showing you the apartment and actually take a look at the machines.

Utilities – ask whether you need to pay for electricity and water and trash and cable/Internet. It’s an important thing to think about because it will add up if your landlord doesn’t help you out with some of it. Maybe it’s already included in the rent, maybe it’s not. Ask and see what you’re really paying for.

Neighborhood – asking about the neighborhood is a big thing in my book. I want to know what kind of people I’m living around and whether it’s a safe place or not. At one of the places I checked out this weekend, the person showing me the apartment told me that the cops actually hang out around the 7-11 around the corner all the time. I guess that’s a good/bad thing. Good since they’re near by but bad because…well why are they in the area all the time?

Appliances/Furniture – see if the apartment comes pre-furnished or if you’ll need to bring your own appliances. Sometimes, old tenants can leave behind furniture and it’s up to you whether you want it or not. One of the apartments I saw didn’t come with a fridge so I would have to get my own. It’s not a big deal but it’s definitely something I needed to know before moving in. Otherwise I’d have to eat nothing but boxed food and canned goods for while!

Pets – pets are something that some places are ok with and some places are adamantly against. Even if you don’t have a dog or cat or even fish at the moment, ask to see if anything would change if you did decide to adopt a pet later on. Sometimes it’s a matter of the neighbors not wanting pets or sometimes you’ll have to pay some extra each month for your pet.

These are just some things I would think about when looking at apartments. I’m probably forgetting some things but I’d love to hear your thoughts!