We read numerous travel blogs before we left and most people posted some sort of self reflection after their trip and/or a cost summary but what no one talked about is what happened in their lives when they returned. Did they sleep on moms couch for weeks while looking for a job, did they have a home to return to, a job? So since today is our first day back at work I figured I'd tell you how it worked for us. We arrived in California last week picked up our car that was parked at a friends place and then headed over to another friend who was gracious enough to let us stay with her for a few days. Our whole life is in a 10x10 storage unit and luckily we had a small bag of clothes and toiletries in the trunk of the car that we needed right before we left. I already felt one up from when I returned from deployment since we didn't have a car then and I came back a month before Michael and I didn't want to look for apartments without him which meant I was homeless for a while.
Got settled at our friends and feverishly went about looking for a place to live. We needed a month to month or 6 month lease available now since we still had no idea where we were moving. There are plenty on the market but they are small complexes without a full time office staff which means generally we call a number who tells us if it's available then they said they will call an on site manager who will call us. From what we observed this on site person is just someone who lives in the complex and has authority to show places but it's not their job so it's not a priority, which means its days before they return your calls. After three days of searching we finally see a bunch of places and then the applications process starts. As a renter the process is painful but as an owner I'm glad they are thorough. Pays stubs (that was tricky for us), bank statements, debt and references. I don't know how people who live paycheck to paycheck ever get approved. Our current hold up is a reference. In the last three years we've only paid rent at a complex for 6 months, the rest of the time we were out of the country or living in our condo. The other issue is that every place requires a credit check and a fee so we don't want to apply to a bunch of places.
In the meantime we have to return to work which started today. It's like everything that's been on hold for months is coming at us at once. We are full speed ahead at two jobs (military and civilian), looking for a place to live, planning a move. So on this fine Monday, 6 days after returning to San Diego we are staying at a hotel, hoping to get an apartment and move this weekend, we have just enough work enough appropriate clothes to make it through the week. It's like we're still traveling as we eat take out or pre-made meals and I had to sit on the floor to make our lunches this morning. I can't wait for the day that I can put in earrings, wear perfume, use my electric toothbrush and cook my own dinner.
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