just like the movies

There are plenty of movies with an idealistic girl who moves to New York City with plans to find a fabulous job and an equally fabulous apartment. Of course, in the movies that girl usually has to suffer with a job and apartment from hell before any of the fabulousness begins...
I vowed that I would start looking for an apartment and a job in the City after I returned from my vacation. So that's what I did on Monday when I wasn't at work. I began my searching for two of the most difficult things to find in New York City. First I started looking for an apartment. Seems I'm more worried about where I'm going to live after August 17 than how I'm going to pay the rent. I planned to limit my search to the no-broker fee apartments listed on Craigslist. I found two within my price range and in my neighborhood of choice. Even better, there was an open house that day! So I left work slightly earlier than I was supposed to leave and walked the 20 blocks over to see a 3 bedroom apartment.
There really was no need to hurry over there. When I arrived there was no one around to show the apartment. Soon a group of 10 was congregated in a very tiny corridor waiting to see the apartment. Finally, a somewhat sketchy man arrived and told us go up to 4E. Um, why couldn't he just tell one of us that over the phone each time we called asking where he was? The minute I walked in I wanted to turn around and walk out. The kitchen looked like it should be declared a hazardous area. I didn't even dare to venture into a very disgusting-looking bathroom. As I made my way through 3 openings considered the "3 bedrooms" I wondered if this is the torture of apartment searching I should anticipate. By the time I reached the 3rd bedroom, I was warned not to go in it. Apparently a very unlucky mouse did not want to live in that apartment either. Perhaps the ugliness of the place was the cause of death. For some reason, I agree to let this very weird man show me three other apartments. I can say the others weren't nearly as bad. They were all renovated with new appliances, plumbing and whatnot. But I just couldn't get past the fact that there weren't really 2 or 3 bedrooms. Simply areas with a wall. And only 1 closet. I don't think so...
The job search began today. It's all really very overwhelming. I'm hoping things will sort of just "fall into place." But I doubt it. In the meantime, I think I will need to devote a little time each day to searching as well as writing cover letters and sending resumes. I've actually been offered a job in the office where I am now. It is so tempting to take it. After all, a job means money. But I feel like I've finally figured out my career goals and so I feel I should do something on that track. Maybe life was easier when I didn't have any clue what I wanted to do.