So as some of you know I decided in the middle of my sophomore year of college that I was done living in Chico and that I needed a change. There was no way I was moving back to the way-to-small hometown, but where do I go now? I had lived in San Diego, that was a possibility, I love SLO that too was a choice, but honestly where was I going to be happiest? I decided on Santa Barbara. I hopped in the car loaded full of my stuff, and walked into a building known as Fountainblue which was to be my home for the next six months. Now Fountainblue is a dorm-type housing complex in Isla Vista, that my parents wanted me to live at since I was new to the town, blah blah blah. Well little did I know that walking through those doors would end up being one of the most eventful days of my life. This woman who still to this day, just hearing the sound of her name makes me angry, handed me the keys to my new apartment and essentially my new life. Sounds great, right?
I put the key in the door with nervous excitement, pushed the door open and had to try my hardest not to cry. The first thing I saw when pushing that door open was that this room looked like it hadn't had new carpet or paint, or anything in probably 50 years, Oh wait it hadn't! They later told me that these buildings had been built in the 60's and they were one-by-one replacing each unit, and of course mine was going to be one of the last ones repaired. Second thing to notice, is that there were about 12 empty handles of vodka strewn about the room. Now I am not one to complain about the drinking or that there was alcohol around but 12 empty bottles in one room is just a bit excessive. Not to mention that there were about 20 more half full bottles in the kitchen, of different sorts of alcohol. Especially with my parents, this was not a good sign they were not happy, to say the least.
Oh at this point I had yet to meet any of the other 4 girls who were supposed to be my roommates. All I knew was that they were all my age went to the same school and were supposedly "really sweet girls". So I'm about the cry still, but trying to be optimistic, it wont be that bad is what I am saying to myself, I'll just go see my bedroom and I will feel better about this, I could not have been more wrong. The first thing I saw was a trail of cigarette butts down the hall way leading into what was supposed to be my bedroom, which all it consisted of was two dirty disgusting mattresses, one with a used condom attached to it. Now the water works started. I was could not stop crying. Turned around and walked out of the apartment, without touching a single thing, or meeting a single resident.
I went back to the scary woman in the office and told her in a calm voice that if she did not find me a new room immediately I was going to sue her personally along with the property managers. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not intimidating in the least. I am short and blonde, and have a chipper, perky personality. But I scared myself, I was so lived with this woman. She gave me a new room and sent me to my new room with a RA in tow, to Personally show me, my new home sweet home!
In I walked to room number two, and this one was even worse than the first. There were a good thirty bottles of alcohol, on the coffee table, and a random assortment, of different colors, and sizes of pills scattered around the apartment. Now my parents at this point were about ready to hop back in the car and make me go home, when we hit the icing on the cake. There on the kitchen table was a small baggy of powder, and a little tube. Insert the RA that was sent to make sure I was happy with my new living situation, he immediately went into crisis mode trying to calm down my irate parents, while I for the second time of the day cried my eyes out. So now because this was technically my room I had to allow the police to search my room for any further evidence of what they called "illegal activity." I was so excited about moving to a new place and moving on with my life, and now I was scared out of my mind. I had "lived" in the town for about a sum total of an hour and half and I had lived in two rooms and already had the cops called. While one of the officers tested the little baggy of powder, the other held me while I cried my eyes out. This was probably the best part of my day because I do have to say that the police officer who was hugging me was pretty darn attractive, so hey I mean if they cops have to get called at least they were cute. :) I stopped crying, and the police officer had his results of the white baggy. It was Sweet N Low!
RA's face at this point.
Insert Scary Office Lady, who now is personally trying to keep my parents calm. For the second time of the day, I threaten to sue this woman and this time it is not just an empty threat, it is a I am calling my lawyer, while standing next to her. Needless to say now there are multiple RAs trying to keep me happy, and Scary Office Lady is personally bringing me coffee to try and calm me down.
I am now handed my third set of keys for the day, and its off to the next apartment I go. I walk in a meet the sweetest girls ever. I will refer to them as Tinkerbell, and Cinderella if that gives you and idea of what they are like. Blonde and perky and super sweet, and I was so happy. The stress melted and I was finally unloading stuff out of the car for the first time all day. Insert Growler-Girl. Tinkerbell and Cinderella lived in the second room of a two bedroom sweet. As I was unloading things into my room, I meet the girl who was going to share my room. She was about 5 feet tall, and had a mustache, as in a legitimate mustache! She reminded me of the girl in the movie dodge-ball who gets disqualified for being on beaver tranquillizers. Now this is not a bad thing, its just to give you a picture of who she is . Well I am unloading stuff, and finally feeling like ok this wont be that bad. And I was right it wasn't so bad until, Growler-Girl calls her dad, and while I am in the room says "yeah some blonde Barbie looking thing just moved into my room, she doesn't look like she eats, I'm sure I could take her!" So now I'm worried, but it wasn't that bad......
That was until I made the mistake of moving a roll of this girls toilet paper. Not only did I only move it about three inches, but I mean its toilet paper. Never-the-less, instead of saying something like oh hey can you not move my things, she proceeds to Growl at me! Yes I said growl, like feral rabies dog, growl. This was the last straw, its now probably 11pm, my parents were supposed to have been well on their way driving home, but nope still helping move things out of the car. They were at the car when the growling happened, so the only thing I could do at this point was run to their car sobbing my eyes out, and tell them I was not staying at this place.
We checked into a hotel for the night, and I was instantly asleep and I was emotionally spent. I didn't want to live in this town, I was so over it. I went to my first day of school and was so happy, It was a beautiful campus and I loved my classes. While I was at school my parents get a call from Scary Office Lady who said that there was an opening in the other building that the manage and that I would be living with an RA. I wasn't so sure I even wanted to live at this place anymore, but for the forth time in two days. I moved apartments! Now I ended up loving my roommates, and it was a great place to live for just starting out in a new town, but Scary Office Lady, still tries to be my friend, and for the whole six months I lived there the RA's were told to be especially nice to me. Oh man
Most peoples crazy moving stories involve a missing box or a flat tire, not police officers, fake cocaine, and 21 year old who Growl at me. Well I ended up with a great story, and a free dinner out a Chili's.All I can say now it, Ce La Vie!
