It hasn't been successful so far, if I can be honest. I didn't realize how much of a procrastinator I was. Well, maybe it's not so much procrastination as it is weird, mixed feelings making me not want to pack. But I've been told that this is normal: having mixed feelings before making a big move.

I've also come across this article from the New York Times about Portland being a city for the young to retire, aka a slacker city as they make it sounds like. I find it funny that this article came out three weeks before my moving date. And I love how everyone I know is bringing it to my attention. And so therefore I'm bringing it to your attention.

To continue my jumbled thoughts and blabber, I was listening to the radio the other day and the Rolling Stones came on. Now, I like my classic rock, but I'm not entirely a big Stones person. I just take them as they come. I don't seek them out. But they were on the radio and the lyrics "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need" really hit me. I had a connection.

I searched high and low for an apartment but couldn't find a single soul to respond. I also had a neighborhood in mind that I was really shooting for, but nothing was working my way. I then decided to think about the standards I had set, and when I broadened my search I found a place that fell into my lap. What originally turned me off was the fact that it was a basement bedroom. I was told to run away from basement bedrooms. The neighborhood is also a little north than I would have liked, but it's got major transportation stops down the block, so that was all that mattered to me. Falling into this situation was perfect because my landlord is amazing and the neighbors are great. It's a nice community, and for me coming from the other side of the country not knowing anyone out there, it's a perfect place for me to adjust being surrounded by a good batch of people. Thinking like the Stones, I can't always exactly get what I want, but when I widened my search, I found what I needed: a nice community with people that will be there for me. It feels like a little bit of a stretch, but I still had that connection with the song.

It's been a tough thing deciding what to take and what to leave behind. I'm nervous that my family is going to swarm in and box my room up after I leave. My brother has already been planning what to do to my room. I just picture vultures in this scenario. Just all around paranoia. That must be a normal feeling too.
This is all really a crazy roller coaster ride.
I'm done blabbering now.