How I Found My Apartment - an Ode to God

I decided I want to write a little bit about how I found and decided on my apartment, because I think it's a little bit of a miracle.

This whole decision to move out here was dependent on the Lord performing a lot of miracles, because I was coming out here without a place to call home and without really anyone to depend on or turn to if anything went terribly wrong. The Lord has made his hand very evident at every turn, from the peace that I have felt in my heart since the moment I made the decision, to the various people who referred me to friends who could help me, to the people who offered me odd jobs and ways to afford this move,  to a hundred other things.

I had friends and family in Utah helping me and I already have a strong group of supportive people here in the area who have been amazing and helpful.

At first when I was looking for apartments I became easily frustrated. Apartments out here were expensive or in the wrong location or without certain amenities or generally terrible or some combination of the above. One day about two weeks ago I sat down and wrote out some of the things my ideal apartment would include. Here's what I wrote:

"Less than 20 minutes from Greg (my 'special' friend, haha)'s apartment, across the street from the metro, with no cockroaches, room to paint, rent less than $700/month, with a view, in a safe area, where I can feel the Spirit, feel comfortable and independent, and create my own Zion. Furnished."

There are probably things on that list that I could have added, or not included, and there are probably things that you would have listed differently. The point is, I thought and prayed about the kind of place I felt I would need in order to really have a positive experience here in DC, and these are some of the things I felt I wanted/needed. I headed to DC without an apartment, but with this list in hand.

Just 4 days after arriving, I moved into my new apartment. Let me tell you a little bit about it. It's less than 20 minutes from Greg's apartment. There's a bus right outside the front door which takes me to the metro. There aren't any cockroaches (so far, although my roommates have also testified to the lack of cockroaches), I have my own furnished room with space to paint, my rent is only $500/month, I have a legit view (thank you, 14th floor), the area is safe, and the feel is awesome. My roommates are so great and really have made an effort to create a place where the Spirit can be.

The area is beautiful, there's a gym, (and a pool and volleyball court in the summer) a farmer's market on Saturdays, Old Town Alexandria (which includes the Torpedo Art Factory where I hope to have a studio) is down the street, there are restaurants and grocery stores and shopping close by, and all the wonders that Downtown DC holds, just a metro ride away.

So far the Lord is doing a really excellent job of being in charge of my life. He always has been pretty good at that.