What is the rent?

The first time I ever paid my own rent was during college. It felt like a lot of money to plop down the first week of every month, but I understood exactly what I was getting for it. My apartment was in a historic building right across the street from campus. There my roommate and I shared a kitchen, dining room, HUMONGOUS living room, two hall closets that could be bedrooms in DC or NYC, spacious real bedrooms, and a view (not to mention the pirated WiFi from the coffee shop below us).

I grasped that it was nice to love my living space, but I didn't get how good I had it until I moved to DC.

Here I have consistently paid twice what we paid for our entire apartment in Baltimore for one very medium sized room in a shared house. But, I've adapted, and again I've come to understand the marketplace. We live in a really lovely neighborhood, and when you split utilities and cable 8 ways it's all pretty manageable. I can't say I've always loved it, but I get it.

Now that Dr. P has matched and we're looking to move into a place of our own, I have once again been struck a hard blow by the reality of DC realty. As I search for the next roof I will call home I will again double my rent in exchange for much less space, and I've gotta be honest, I do not like the way this is trending.

In the months leading up to match I often entertained delusions thoughts of dinner parties my man and I would throw in our swanky private domicile. Unfortunately, I'm now realizing that things can never be that private in a studio, and I think I'm looking for a different kind of apartment therapy than the one offered here.

I have no positive note to end on. This is simply a public rant on rent. But here, how's this. I'm very grateful to have my wonderful boyfriend, and  family, and that my family (especially Two) is doing so much better today than we were just a few short months ago. And, perhaps it's best that we don't find a place that we adore, because we'll be moving in a year anyway... *sigh*

But goshdarnit, if someone knows how to get in touch with the DC apartment fairy I would be forever grateful.

In other news... This looks amazing.