I have arrived to a new home and new opportunities before me. I have reported to Air Station Miami and started a life here. I have found a nice house, met some great people and work with a commendable group of shipmates. I have to admit it was a first for me to be homeless, however temporary it was. I shall explain from the beginning.
All the units I have been to before, I have been in government housing or had a place to stay before I even got there. I was always taken care of the moment I arrived and did not have to worry about finding a home or even a place to settle down. In this case I arrived at the airport without a ride, a hotel reservation and no idea where to go at 2200 hours. By the time I acquired a rental car, it was about 0000 and the hotel was a half hour away. It took me an hour because I got lost a few times. So after I navigated through this little adventure, I found the beach and some rest. The feeling did not hit me till the next day after I had reported to the Air station. I was juggling the idea of where to live, where to stay in the meantime and how to find a place in my ten-day window. The only conclusion I came to was that I needed a beer first.
So I am sitting there enjoying a cold beer thinking where I want to live and all the things that needed to be done. I had already spoken with several people and narrowed by area down to a few places that most all had recommended. I called a couple realtors, drove around, talked to locals, the police and scoped out prospects for my local bar and bakery. A critical part of where to live depends on these to factors. A man needs a place to hang out and relax, but also a place to get fresh bread for a Sunday morning. I could settle for some scrumptious pasties, but bread would be preferred. Fortunately, Downtown Hollywood has many bars of all different types so the hang out spot is covered. There is a bakery that does not sell bread, but does have good breakfast for a cheap price, so that works. I am sure there is a fresh bakery somewhere around here.
I was able to get a list of properties for rent from a few realtors and took the drive to check them out. I decided to stay in the downtown area to make my search easier and to be close to where all the action is. For the most part, the properties were not what I was looking for. I wanted a one or two bedroom with a yard for the dog. In a nice neighborhood, close to the downtown and easy access so the freeway so my commute was not to bad. That is what I get for growing up with two parents involved with real estate. Well I got lucky, I found a place that is around a fifteen minute walk from the downtown and two miles from the beach. It has a very good size yard for the dog and reasonable rent. It is a two bedroom, so I have room for guest when they visit me (Wink Wink). It is even in a very nice little neighborhood. I was a little comprehensive to make an offer after only three days here, but realized that the house would not be on the market long.
As enjoyable as it is to make it home, I understand why my mother spent so long decorating our house in Danville. There is a lot that goes into the theme for the rooms, type of furniture, size and getting the right feel. Some of these furniture manufacturers are proud of their stuff. You ask for simple and they show you a granite counter top coffee table that just happens to cost 3000 dollars. So I played the part. I let them show me anything they wanted. I got some good ideas and eventually found some furniture that was reasonable. The only thing I am certain of is that it will be a work of progress for a while. Now that the my stuff from both California and Puerto Rico has arrived, all there is to do is organize and find a place for it all.
As for work, it is going well. There seems to be a very good set of leaders that are focused on both individual and team development. That is the best I could ask for. I will keep everyone updated and promise to take more pictures of the area when I am settled. Until then, enjoy every moment.
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