Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Decisions, Decisions...

So I canceled my plans with Tim Tuesday morning via e-mail. Usually I wouldn't cancel plans the day of or via e-mail, but we had only communicated through e-mail and the plans were just to meet at a church service and grab dinner. He called me that evening and very aggressively insisted that we see each other again before I moved. I explained that I was just feeling swamped with wrapping up my job here, receiving calls/e-mails from my new job, finding an apartment, etc. and didn't need anything else on my plate. Unfortunately I caved and agreed to have coffee in two weeks just to get off the phone with him. His insistence and failure to respect what I was saying confirmed my decision to not pursue anything else with him.

In other news, I'm looking for a place to live this Saturday in Chattanooga. If you have any suggestions or thoughts, I welcome them. Fortunately I have friends who moved there a year ago, so today she gave me a good overview of different areas. Unfortunately some of the nicer places do not seem to have websites, so I'm having to do a lot calling/setting up appointments, etc.

It seems I can live right in the center of "things" in a very nice loft/apartment and be able to walk to restaurants, bars, grocery stores, etc. if I am willing to pay an extra $150-$250 in rent and add 8-10 minutes to my commute. I could also have a two bedroom for $50 more than a one bedroom in this area. Right now I'm thinking I should take the more expensive option and enjoy living in-town and walking everywhere. After all one of the things I miss about Europe is the ability to walk everywhere, and I think it'd help me feel more excited about the move. Of course, I like the idea of keeping my fixed expenses low too. Decisions, decisions:) Hopefully looking around on Saturday will help me figure out the best option.

p.s. I'm thankful that my eight year old niece is coming to stay with me next week. Fun!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow! You do have some decisions to make! I say go for the in town experience. Even though saving money is smart I think living your life to the fullest is better. Well obviously you don't want to be stretched to thin. But if you can do it live in town! :) H

boohoo said...

I opted to live in the town but I'm a country-girl at heart and I miss all the greenery hehe. But, of course, I'm in europe so, like you say, walking everywhere is a given here ;) I forget that in the US cars are a must-have unless you're right in the centre of things.

I hope you make all the right decisions :)

Accidentally Me said...

Definitely live in town...it keeps you young;-)

Scotty said...

My vote is for in town. I love the option of being able to walk to restaurants and places to hang out. Worth more than I would have imagined prior to living where I am.

Anonymous said...

Take the in-town apt. Advantages outweigh the disadvantages so long as it in a "safe" area and take the two bedroom. The longer commute would probably be more of a negative than the extra $ if it means getting in heavy commuter traffic. If you can pick your working hours would not matter. Dr. RJJ

Aaron said...

Lemme know when you're in and I'll drag Sarah up there and we'll visit!

TC said...

I would say go for in town if you like the looks of the place when you visit. I moved almost out to suburbia, and I don't get out nearly as much as I did when I could walk to most everything.

ella said...

First of all, you are one hard girl to catch!

Seconly, can't you write off part of your rent since you're a contractor?

Lib said...

was it tiff you talked to?

ok, first off, i can totally sympathize with your caving in to have coffee with Timbo. i probably would have done the same thing. doesn't that crap just stress you out?

dude--i think living in town would be totally cool. how fun to get a funky loft right in the heart of things. you can walk to get coffee, and almost pretend you're in Europe. dude, live it up while you can!! and, in my opinion, an extra 10 minutes commute time just means you get to listen to two or three more songs.

we went downtown when we visited Tiff. it's really cute! not a booming metropolis, mind you, but really fun. we went to the aquarium and Mellow Mushroom...the best pizza in the South (in my humble opinion.)

anyhow...best of luck this weekend. hope all works out well for you!

Thomas said...

My 3-year old niece was my favorite person in the world...until yesterday. She told me she didn't like me anymore.

Ally said...

Thomas: Three year olds do tend to be fickle....

Lib: Nope, not Tiff; fortunately my friends who live in Chatty returned from their trip to Kenya, so we finally talked details. Oh, I LOVE Mellow Mushroom too; I lived on the pretzels for a year in college.

Ella: I totally forgot about that--I need to talk to an accountant.

TC: Yeah, that's how I think I'd be.

AA: Definitely will do. Would love for you guys to visit.

RJJ: Surprised by your answer, but I agree.

Scotty: That's good to read; I've never lived in a place that allowed me to walk much of anywhere.

AM: And now that I'm 30 I need all of the help I can get, right? :)

Ys: Yeah, I can't imagine not having a car....

Heather: I think I agree. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I've been wondering how you've been doing!! I agree with most, live in town- but what do I know...I've never been to Chattanooga.. :)

Hope you are having fun w/your niece!!

Kathryn Thomas said...

i think living in town and walking everywhere is a great idea. you'll save money, and get some exercise, plus enjoy being in the middle of the city.