Apartment hunting is miserable.  Apartment hunting in a new city is very miserable.  Apartment hunting in a new city with only one week to find an apartment is the most miserable.

You call tens, hundreds even, of apartments. Deal with realtors, condominium boards, home owners associations, home owners, tenants.  Your budget goes from highly reasonable, to reasonable, to "guess I'll have to make it work." Your expectations go from one bedroom, well-finished, in a nice area, to "I'll take what I can get. Do you have efficiencies?".  Your attitude goes from optimistically hopeful, to tentatively hopeful, to anxious, to desperate.

You stress, and angst, and sign forms, and gather materials, pay stubs.  You contact previous landlords, police departments, former employers, personal references.

You sign on the dotted line with question in your mind about your decision-making abilities, hold your breath, and again, impose an optimistic perspective on yourself because, really, what other choice do you have?

Optimism is a choice.  

Keep on thinking,

Josie