Apartment 23

Just so you know, I still don't miss that York Avenue apartment. I miss the times we had and memories we made there, but my small ass bedroom can suck it. I absolutely love thinking back to apartment hunting, though. We had no clue what the city was like or what areas we'd love best. We were so fresh in the eyes of New Yorkers and there's something really awesome about that. It's easy to forget that feeling! Now, we're definitely city folk and it's really wild that there was a time when we didn't know this place at all. Ahhh, naive girls excited for a day of apartment hunting:

What's hilarious is that we really didn't know how good we had it with a broker driving us around all day in his fancy ride. Damn yo, naivety at it's best. Wait no, thinking this was amazing was naivety at its best:

This just makes me angry:

We were so excited about that bathroom and, you know what? I think it's the bathroom that really did save us from killing one another in that small space. It's been a while since I've stopped and really thought about how that was our very first step in the journey. Back then, nerves were so high and both of us just couldn't imagine what life would really be like together, but we took the plunge and were on our way to the Big Apple. But first, we had to make it back to DC so I could get back to GA:

I'm grateful it was you that stayed awake on that bus ride of death. For me, I still think that might've been the best sleep of my life. 

I can remember the days that followed and all the thoughts going through my head. I was so excited but really nervous at the idea of us living together. I don't even have to reminisce about the conversation we had just before moving, but I will say one thing - THANK YOU. Everything you said to calm me down that night was exactly what I believe to be god speaking through you because the leap of faith was taken. That's what matters. Look at how cute we are packing up:

By cute, I mean daaaamn. I do still love that Phish shirt I'm wearing, though. By the way, I miss that cluttered garage about as much as I miss York Avenue. 

Jeff arriving in town and us packing up the Uhaul will always be a vivid memory for me. Although I wasn't super young, being 25 years old and packing up the only life I've known to move away was extremely bittersweet. It was so different than the first time I went to New York because this time I didn't think I'd be coming back anytime soon:

Next up, DC! I must admit, me, Jeff and Will actually had quite a fun road trip together heading up to you. I'm thankful for their help back then and, despite his insanity, Jeff's willingness to be there for us. We couldn't have done a lot without him over the course of the years so I choose to hold on to memories such as those. Dude, I just have to remind both of us that you had a damn fine apartment in DC:

 Moving out the window was certainly an experience. Coldest day EVER, too:

THAT, I could never forget. I still shiver when I think about it.

Bye bye Massachusetts Avenue...:

...and hello, Big Apple:

What we really should've taken a photo of was the pizza in a garbage bag. Clearly, you can't find good pizza in New York so it was a good thing we traveled far and wide with our own. 

As we started to settle in, we had to find a way to make believe we were still like normal people with couches and whatnot:

At least we had folding chairs. 

All of the 'firsts' that we got introduced to are so fun to think about, even buying corner store tulips for the first time. Jack made life brighter on York Avenue which was obviously needed in that dungeonous space:

Sometimes, I truly cannot believe we survived there for two years. That apartment was only just the beginning of so much fun, though.