Last October, I bought my 2nd house just outside of a small neighborhood in East AtlantaVillage. I love the area, and fell in love with the home itself.
I have been blessed enough to have my cousin living with me for the past few months, as she has been going through a hard transition in her life. She is in a great place now, and has purchased her own home which she is moving into this weekend.
Which… leaves me to being on the hunt for another roommate. And i must admit, this whole process has taken a toll on me over the past month! It has proved to be VERY tough and emotional, but for way different reason than I expected.
1. I don’t really WANT a roommate. I love living by myself, and bought this house under the personal expectation that I would live here solo. However, the economy has impacted things a big, and thus I have come to the conclusion that I need one. (blah!)
2. If I have a roommate, I’d like to know them, at least a little. I am out of town traveling a lot with this job, and leaving a stranger in my home while i’m gone, and trusting them to take care of it like it’s their own, is unsettling.
3. I would like them to have a job where they travel a lot too. I mean, this comes back to me wanting to live alone. If they at least travel a lot with what they do, then sometimes I can have the house to myself. Seems only fair, right?
4. I prefer that they have a dog. I love animals, and especially love dogs. I just can’t own one yet – due to the travel and the expensive. (I’m trying to be responsible here, people. I will get one someday when its right!). But a dog would be so fun, I would definitely help take care of it, and would love it to be there as extra security. So, pets preferred in this case!
So… this whole search for the perfect roommate has really been hard. I’m having an internal struggle between knowing I need to have one, and thinking of all the reasons I should be picky. I mean, it’s not like I haven’t done anything. I have sent the emails, and talked to people I know, but who am I kidding. All my friends that fit the criteria above (even minus the dog) are either married, or own a place on their own.
So my question is, at what point do I give up on these criteria? When do I realize that getting another roommate is a matter of necessity, not desire – and how do I get there?
Do any of you have any suggestions of how to talk yourself into something? Or even better, what I can do to keep spreading the word?
You all are great with advice… bring it!