Greensboro, NC

The drive to North Carolina was peaceful. I stopped at the rest area about an hour into it to allow my cat to use his litter box, which he surprisingly did. That kept him peaceful and quiet in his carrier for the rest of the trip. Three and a half hours later we were in Greensboro. Lesson learned: make sure to stop during the first 20-30 minutes of the drive to see if Kitty wants to poop. 

I arrived later in the evening, pulled into the driveway of a large home and by following instructions in the listing, entered the apartment on the second floor. The apartment was spotless. The cool air of the air conditioner flowing from multiple vents throughout the apartment (thank goodness for central air!) made it even more inviting. I heard people talking in the backyard and saw a couple of women drinking wine. I decided to bring the cat in the apartment together with his litter box and then unload the car. This is by far the most awkward stage of the moving in for me, especially if the host is on site. In the process of unloading the boxes, the host stopped by to introduce herself. She was very friendly. I wondered to myself how quiet this place would be and whether they entertain often. The worries tend to overwhelm me when I first walk in anywhere new. It's almost as if my senses get overly alert to any threat or even its potential.

After unloading the car, I sat down to look around. The place was really quiet. I could not even hear the ladies in the backyard. I felt at home already. Kitty did not hesitate either and started to explore the small space we were in for the next month. The apartment was a studio with a kitchenette. I had a few concerns about not having a kitchen and even a full size fridge, but realized that the mini-fridge was of a modest size. I found a hotplate, a pot and a pan together with multiple snacks, beer and wine available at a small fee. There was also a microwave and a Nespresso maker which quickly was moved to the closet as my DeLonghi was replacing it in the meantime.

Modest mini-fridge

Kitchenette

I was so excited to have a bathroom that was updated and clean. The prior two rentals were neither. It was also stocked with nicer brands of hair shampoo and conditioner as well as Aveeno body wash. Typically, I would find Walmart brands that did the job, but didn't make you feel special. It's the small thing that counts.

Bathroom

I started to unpack and quickly realized I needed to conserve space as storage was limited. There were three large openings for storage under the bed that was built in the bay area with the skylight above. A small closet and a tiny area to store the cat carrier was all the storage available.

Main room, view from the futon

I managed to unpack everything and filled the fridge with my food from the cooler. I checked the internet, which was ok, but not great. I was going to test it out later during my work calls. This has been one of the most important criteria when booking Airbnbs. I contacted hosts ahead of each booking to make sure I could work from home remotely. This place confirmed that as well. 

I rearranged the furniture a bit and shifted the table with chairs off the center of the room to get more space. The apartment now suited my needs. Let the new month begin!