Here's an equation for you: cost of living in Seattle + my income= :(

Now don't get me wrong: I love Seattle. I love it so much that in fact I am often times blind to its flaws. For example, the fact that Seattle is apparently so cool, it's virtually not affordable to live here. Unless you work for Microsoft. Or Google. Which I don't.

Anyway, I'm planning on moving out of my current abode this summer, and will be looking for a new apartamento for just me. But living alone is not an easy thing to do in this city. I've been obsessively hunting for apartments for months, primarily just to see what's out there and to give myself some assurance that I won't be homeless. But I have to be perfectly honest-- it might be time for me to start getting acquainted with cardboard boxes and the amiable hobo who waves to me off of the 65th Steet exit. Hector used to be a stray cat, so maybe he can show me the ropes of life on the street. At any rate, here's case-in-point for why I may soon be homeless: back in the day when I was still in baccalaureate bliss, I lived alone. Some of you may remember my apartment as that quaint yet surprisingly pleasant little abode nestled in the drug and prostitution district of Seattle (in all fairness, I only got solicited once for sex, and that was by a female hooker). That former home, my friends, is now renting for $925 a month-- a staggering increase of nearly $200 in less than three years! And I don't have the feeling that that complex has undergone any significant renovations since I've lived there to adequately account for the steep increase...

On the flip side, my life of leisure may soon be drawing to a close (or an almost-close), which means more moolah. And I definitely need more moolah, because I am waist-deep in student loans. Funny how I have an advanced degree now but chose the least lucrative career path possible with a Master's. Essentially if I worked for one year straight, and spent absolutely zero dollars, I could re-pay all my loans. But alas...