New Home!

Michael and I spent most of the day on Friday touring apartments and trying to find a new one, closer to CWU and Highline so that we don't have to continue to spend a couple hours on the freeway every day. Michael and I had been screening buildings online for the past couple of months, and we'd narrowed our search down to four buildings that we thought would be acceptable. Michael had called all the buildings, made appointments to view apartments, and printed off maps to get us from each one to the next one in line (yes--he was ORGANIZED!). Our initial screening criteria was this: at least two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a reserved parking spot, a washer and drier, and a pool.

The first apartment we toured was in a nice neighborhood, and the apartment itself met all the criteria. We felt the day was off to a good start--until we realized how far out in the boonies the apartment complex was. The neighborhood was nice because it was a million miles from anywhere.

As we exited the freeway to find the next apartment, we began to be worried. Off the exit, we found an industrial park, a string of used car dealerships ad auto parts stores, some pawn shops and sex toy stores, and a lot of graffiti--oh, and the building where we'd scheduled the appointment. We politely toured the building and told them we'd get back to them. Honestly, they wanted $300 more than we were willing to pay for an apartment the size they were offering, for an apartment in a neighborhood where I'd be afraid to wait for a bus.

The last apartment we looked at (I'm going to skip the one we picked) would have been the winner, had we not looked at the really awesome apartment first. It was in a quiet, residential neighborhood next to a dog park. It had two massive bedrooms and tons of storage space. It had a view of a gorgeous greenbelt. All the appliances were brand new (stainless steel)--we'd have been the first people to use them. But...

We'd seen one more apartment before visiting the last one, and once we'd seen it, nothing else could hope to compare. We put in an application, and this morning, we got the confirmation call: we're in. We will be moving to Kent in mid-July (we get the official move-in date tomorrow).

Our new apartment has three bedrooms and two bathrooms (on the top floor, so we'll never have to hear our neighbors stomping around). Michael and I will both get one of the smaller (still big) bedrooms for an office. Yes--I'll get my own room after three years of having an office in the living room! My office will be the official guest room, with the small guest bed that's been in Michael's office. I'll get a frilly new bedspread and make it a gorgeous, feminine room. Michael will get the futon couch that's currently in the living room in his office, and we're planning to shop together for a brand new set of living room furniture (our second major furniture purchase). Michael will lay claim to the larger of the two bathrooms, and I'll get the slightly smaller master bathroom, which will become a fluffy pink girl's bathroom. Mine! The master bedroom is plenty large enough for our king-sized bed and dressers and other bedroom paraphernalia. We're getting a corner apartment, so the master bedroom and the bedroom that will become my office each have extra windows. My plants will be very happy!

The kitchen is enormous, and while the appliances aren't brand new, there is a lot more storage space than we currently have, and a whole lot more counter space (important for someone who likes to cook). The kitchen connects to the living/dining area with a breakfast bar, so we're also going to be shopping for barstools. The living/dining area is giant. It has a sliding glass door that opens onto a large deck. We're going to need to get patio furniture! There's a huge storage closet on the deck where we'll be able to keep all our camping equipment, seasonal decorations, and luggage. In the living room, there's an absolutely gorgeous, old-fashioned brick fireplace. There's a small alcove on the deck that will be perfect for storing a small stack of firewood. We'll be able to curl up by a roaring fire on cold winter nights. In the hallway near the bedrooms is a laundry closet with a full-sized washer and drier and some additional storage space.

Let's talk about the complex itself: when we arrived for our tour, we walked into a professional looking office with big, dark desks and other impressive looking furniture. The smell of fresh cookies filled the air, and the girl behind one of the desks greeted us by offering us cookies still warm from the oven. Near the door, we noticed a large rack of DVDs, and she explained that they refill the rack once a month--tenants can borrow one movie (for free) every day! She then showed us around the fitness room, indoor racket ball court, sauna, tanning salon, and pool--state of the art everything. The complex also has several playgrounds, a basketball court, and a tennis court. The banquet room (where she'd been baking cookies) is available for tenants when they want to throw parties. It has a full-sized kitchen, a large dining table, and a living room with a big-screen TV. Movie night, anyone?

The neighborhood is absolutely amazing. The complex is bordered on the back by the Green River, on one side by an elementary school, and on the other by a golf course. It's set off of the main road in the front by a large grove of trees, but the main road is lined with sidewalks, and the neighborhood is incredibly well maintained, with prosperous businesses within easy walking distance. There were several interesting-looking restaurants in the area. We'll be within walking distance of a movie theater, a small mall, several parks, an ice skating rink, and the mini golf course connected with the big course is just steps out of our complex. Along the Green River is a 19-mile hiking and biking trail (completely paved) that will give us a beautiful place to exercise on nice days, without being on city streets breathing exhaust and wondering if we're about to be run over.

We're going to sign papers tomorrow, but we're planning to start packing tonight!