Apartment Hunt

This past weekend I traveled to Philadelphia to spend time with my gorgeous (inside and out) friend, Lynsie. We once worked together at Goddard. Even though our time there was short, she was a true friend and a gem of a person! Lynsie started a job at Urban Outfitters Headquarters. (By far, the coolest work space ever- more later!) Anyway, that is what brought me to Philly.

I stayed in her adorable studio apartment and this got me thinking of what to look for in my own apartment.

1. Lighting: I am a sucker for natural light. I promise you, if I have to live in the dark and depend on light bulbs I will die. I love basking in the sun and letting the sun heat up my room. Guilty pleasure- just like a cat.

2. Character: Lynsie's apartment had cute little things that really made the place. It had a nice closet, a deep window still, a large deck, and a non-working fireplace. Not that I am looking for those things particular, but a special something would be nice. I'm not someone who needs fresh and modern. I can do old, as long as it is clean. And bonus: most apartments in Berlin come with some size of outdoor space. It may be just enough to set a chair but that's all I need. I can envision many nights having a glass of wine and grading papers there.

3. Heat/ Air: Most of you know that I can deal with little heat but I may need some air. I don't mind putting on two or three layers of clothing plus ten blankets. But there is only so much you can take off. And the heat truly messes with my sleep.

4. Water Pressure: Self explanatory and cannot be tested until I'm there. Just can't deal with a drizzle of water!

5. Limited Space: Yes, that's right limited space. From staying with Lynsie, I realized I don't need a ton of space to host people. I was hoping for a separate bedroom and if I could manage another for a guest. But now I'm reconsidering it. Ideally, I would love to have a one room apartment where there's a nook that's pushed out from the main of the apartment, so like it's L-shaped. This way I could put my bed in the bottom of the L and set up a shelf or two to make it more a room. I am completely in love with this idea and have found a few apartments that would work. It is hard to "shop" because I'm not ready to commit and so quickly they go off the market. No worries, there are always new listings.

Away from the actual location, I've been gathering a few of my favorite kitchen supplies - a mug, a dipping dish for hot sauce (need to pack!) and a soup carrier my coworker, Sara gave me. I had no idea I have only 18 days left. I have been slowly gathering supplies and realized I will need to pack in two weeks. Where did the time go?