Just Fine

                As previously stated, I have been offered a contract with Holbrook to fill a first grade teaching position. However, I’ve been very hesitant to sign the contract without a guaranteed place to live. So, after much frustration and many tears, my mom came up to help.

                We spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoon checking out the papers, searching on Craigs list, looking through Zillow, and driving around town checking out “For Rent” signs. However, no place that we drove past felt safe. One house we found was three bedroom, two bath and we figured that I could just block off half the house I didn’t need. We went back to this house twice, as the neighbor showed us around. A huge negative of this situation, however, is that the landlords live in Phoenix and would not be easy access in an emergency.

                I found a guesthouse available on Craigslist Wednesday and e-mailed the owner. I did not receive a response by Thursday afternoon and decided to drive past the listed address just to get an idea of what it looked like. So we drove past and saw a high school girl pulling into the driveway. I asked her if the guesthouse was still available and, being very helpful, she said yes and called her dad (a highway patrol man) to receive permission to show us around the inside. They have several dogs on their property (one that works with the dad as a police dog). I felt very safe being on that land. She made the phone call and, with regret, informed us that her father said it was rented out yesterday. AH! I’m so fed up with this place! I just want to feel safe, especially as I’m by myself!  That’s when she pointed us across the street to a set of apartments and said, “You should check out that place. My high school teacher lives there.”

                I looked across the street and noticed that that was the building we had been avoiding. Some locals who had been helping us out with the house hunt informed us that the landlord wasn’t that great. But, we drove over there anyways. As we were pulling up, a mid-aged woman pulled up beside us. I, without fear, rolled down my window and asked her if she lived there. She said yes and I asked for a little information on the complex, as there was a “For Rent” sign out front. She looked at me and asked, “Oh! Would you like to just come in and check out my place?” She was so friendly and reassuring. As my mom and I walked into her beautiful, clean apartment we were in awe! This is exactly what I need! The living room was large, there were two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a kitchen with a stove (which I haven’t had in a couple years). The apartments all rested around a courtyard of grass (which I haven’t had either!). I loved it! That was when I decided to call the landlord. He informed me that he was out walking his dogs and could meet me on Friday.

                As I was finishing up my phone conversation, a young girl (around my age) pulled up and began walking in with her bags. She was a teacher. I knew it. We stopped and chatted for a while. It turns out that she was in the same situation I was in a year ago. She came from Washington and refused to sign the contract without a place to live. Her mom came with her and they drove up and down the streets. She was so irritated when eventually she found this complex. She told me she teaches third grade and plans to stay in the complex another year. It was interesting because she even told me that the complex is filled with teachers who hang out together and that she wouldn’t live anywhere else. In fact, she is dating a guy in the complex. She even informed me that as she pulled up, she saw me on the phone and knew I was a teacher. I asked her about the “bad landlord” thing I’ve heard and she said that he gets upset if you don’t pay your rent on time. Well- obviously! I would too! So I knocked that accusation out the window.

                Friday rolled around and I met with the landlord. He was super nice! In fact, he is a high school teacher and coach at Holbrook High. He showed me the available place and I felt comfortable right away. It was the same layout as the other apartment we had seen, but flipped. One of the rooms would be perfect for my office, as I work on teaching and earning my masters. There was central air conditioning and heating, as well as plenty of storage and a nice refrigerator. He would even allow me a cat. I’m so relieved and offered to take the place right away. After some discussion, he agreed to fix up  a few things in the apartment as preparation for move in, and agreed to allow my lease to start in July! Such a blessing! I wrote him a check for the deposit and walked away relieved.

                I’m so grateful that this place opened up for me. It is absolutely PERFECT and I can definitely see myself being there for at least a couple of years. I’m excited to be living in a complex with teachers around my age, and to begin working with the wonderful people I’ve met in Holbrook so far. God has provided a place for me and I’m going to be just fine. That’s all I needed to know.