apartment hunting...

As I sit here and think about it, I realize that apartment hunting in an area unfamiliar to you can be a scary thing. You meet up with a person you know absolutely nothing about and proceed to follow them into what may or may not even be their apartment. I guess it can be both a good and a bad thing that I trust everyone, but when it came time to visit my first apartment I had my doubts. I came across a listing online for an apartment in Sydney for $170 AUD a week (about $440 a month) and I called and set up an appointment with a Brazilian guy named Victor to see the apartment.

When a man covered in tattoos came to greet me, I was slightly intimidated but I tried my best to put my stereotypical thoughts aside and followed him into the elevator. The apartment is shared by ten people, each from a different country (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, France, Canada, Belgium, Turkey, Korea and England). They all speak English fluently and came to Australia for different reasons.

When I walked in I noticed a pile of shoes near the door and Victor explained to me that "the Korean girl" prefers that everyone take their shoes off when they enter. I slipped off my flip flops and followed him into one of the nicest apartments I have ever seen. It was the penthouse apartment of an apartment complex with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a balcony with an amazing view. He showed me around the apartment announcing to the others that "the American girl" was here. I met a few of the other housemates and everyone seemed very friendly.

I visited a few other apartments after that, but none really stood out like this one. I called and accepted a few days later. I move in on Sunday...