I’m not living in the dorms anymore. I decided to find my own apartment to live in. I didn't mind the dormitories, but I wanted to have what every kid wants after their first year in college: a kitchen.

I met up with a friend and it was decided that she, a mutual friend, and I would be living together our sophomore year. We found a small house near campus and it was decently priced. As it were, things did not go the way we had anticipated. So, we thought about changing it to an apartment complex. By this time, we had taken on another potential roommate - Madi. We were going to find a four bedroom apartment and hope for the best. However, things got even more complicated. I found out about a program that would take on-campus housing and bill the rent to your bursar. It sounded like a great idea. My friend and the mutual friend decided to do that. This left me with Madi. I had a class with her, but I didn't know her all that well. We planned to move in together along with one girl named Sara and a different mutual friend in a four bedroom apartment.

Madi, Sara, and I did the apartment search and we went to three different apartment complexes. Two were decently distanced from campus and the other, well, not so much. We went to the first one in the morning. It was raining lightly nearly all morning. This did not stop us from getting to see the apartment. It was cheap. I could have easily afforded it. There was just one minor issue: it was unfurnished. I could have afforded the apartment itself, but buying furniture was a completely different thing. I kept the application and Madi and I went on to the next one. This next apartment was fully furnished and had unbelievably great resources. The benefits were great and the apartment complex and the room itself was very nice. It was, however, completely out of my price range. We went to the third and final apartment complex with hopeful moods. We got there, and the first thing I noticed was that it was a gated community. This was great. It meant that the apartment complex was secure. We went on the tour and it sounded too good to be true. The rent was decent and the apartments weren't too bad, either. There was a great 'clubhouse' used for general purposes: such as a gym, computer lab, and a media lounge. In all honesty, I knew it was the place I wanted to live before I even left. I ended up signing the application that night and I went by the clubhouse the next day to sign the lease.

About a week later, Madi had received a letter in the mail with the apartment that we were going to live in. I was excited. We were in the very back of the apartment complex, though. This did not cut my excitement down in any way. Madi signed the lease to move in on May first. I helped her move her things in and check the apartment for damages. Our little apartment was perfect. I did not know which room I was going to be in at the time (I signed to move in on the eighteenth of August).

At the end of semester, Madi allowed me to move my things into her closet as storage until I could move in. I was leaving for another state, and couldn't bring everything with me. So, since she lived there anyway, we took my things and loaded her closet up with my boxes and bags. I kept them all together and there they stayed until I moved into my room of the apartment. My sisters and I left for Louisiana a few days later. I went to visit my dad before we left. We stayed in Louisiana until late July (that's a whole 'nother story). When I got back, I stayed with friends until I could move in.

During the summer, it was my job to find a guarantor. This was a person that would sign for me to let the apartment complex know that I would pay my rent, or they would be held reliable if I didn't. They wanted more requirements for the guarantor than I could find in one person to sign for me. I was recommended to be my own guarantor. That meant I had to pay three months rent in advance. I just happened to get a refund from my college and I had the money to get it (minus several dollars, which I will repay to the gracious lender). Then, I was my own guarantor. That part of the issue was solved.

At last the day came and I went to the clubhouse to get my keys. I already had my things moved in, so I just, with the help of a couple friends, organized the things into my room. My room doesn't have a window. I have no natural light to wake me up or give me any clue as to the time of day. I have Christmas lights and a blue light in my room to keep it tastefully brightened. I am worried, though about my electric costs, as I rely on artificial light more than I would with a window. My room is perfect. It's just small enough to be cozy, but big enough to be spacious - and it's all my own. I did end up living with just Madi and Sara. I'm so grateful that their my roommates. We get along very well together.