What to expect when you're expecting...

...to move to a big city (& pay "cheap" rent).  Not all of these will apply if you live in a considerably nice apartment.  I wish someone would've filled me in on all of this a little bit more.  Particularly about the final subject I wish to address.  If you're easily jittered, stop reading after the laundry bit.  Just a heads up.

1. GREAT shopping.  If it's online, it's in the stores in a matter 

of days.  I'm not complaining that I snagged this shirt (remember?) 

rather quickly.  Thank you San Francisco GAP.  

//

2.  While there are delicious restaurants in the city, I still have my days

where the thought of going out to eat makes me feel larger than

I'd like.  So, me and my tiny "kitchen" resort to quick, easy

home cooked meals.  This particular meal dished up to be very 

delicious.  I can't exactly remember where I found it, but it's been

keeping me full for the past 24 hours.  It's great hot or cold.  

3.4.5. Laundromats.  Kind of a funny place (does anyone else

feel slightly awkward pulling your unmentionables out in front

of the rest of the world or is it just me?).  I may or may not have 

made some rookie (and slightly embarrassing) moves while I was 

there, that I'm not particularly proud to admit.  It's fine though.  

The nice little Asian man working there told me, "Great job for first time."  

Yeah.  What up.

6. Okay and now for the real kicker.  Can I get a drumroll, please?  

ROACHES, ROCHES EVERYWHERE I LOOK.  Not kidding.

Like, I've never been more serious about anything in my life.  Do you 

remember one of my first days in the city when I went off on a 

frustrated blog rant and I so naively thought that what I had killed that 

night was a "large beetle?"  Yeah, well I was very, very wrong.  I live 

amongst a family (who is being thrown out the window 3 stories, day by day) 

of roaches.  

We've found them in shoes (dead and alive), I've stepped on them, I've caught 

them hightailing it across the floor... you dream it, I've done it.  I'm past the 

point of whacking them with a shoe.  I'm not that heartless.  So instead, I 

throw them out the window.  The best part is that pest control was just here

on Wednesday to go through every apartment (apparently this is not just 

a problem that I'm having) and yet I saw 2 of them within 20 minutes of 

each other that day -- and one of them was VERY quick, I might add. 

I discovered this dude (dead and crippled) this morning by our suitcases 

(which happen to be next to the undies drawers --- ahhhh).  I can't live like 

this, people.  I just can't.  While I lie in bed every night, wide awake,

itching all over, I keep telling myself the same thing over and over again...

"We are saving a lot of money living here, darn it!  You can do it, 

Ashley...you can do it!"  And then I itch myself some more and flinch

every time something unexpected moves & the wise words of my 6-year old

nephew come to mind..."I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO MAKE IT!"

One more month, one more month.  Although I will miss the shopping terribly. ;) In all honesty, I don't think you'd experience #6 if you lived in a nicer place.  It's not like I live in a dive...but I wouldn't exactly call this a 4 star living situation.  Okay, I really can do this --- I just like to be slightly dramatic for purposes of entertainment. ;)  Hope this helps anyone planning on moving to a big city --- pay a little extra...it's worth the peace of mind!