Relocating for an Internship
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am relocating from Eugene, Ore., to Portland, Ore. I am involved in the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication’s program called Portland Senior Experience, a portfolio-building internship program that allows graduating seniors to finish their remaining coursework in Portland while interning at a company doing journalism and communications-related work.
Relocating is not easy. I am moving two hours away and I may as well be moving across the country. I have spent my last three consecutive weekends commuting to Portland to look for a place to live. I found it difficult, to say the least, to find a place. Most decent places that are conveniently located are either too expensive or require a long lease. While I love Portland and see myself establishing a life and career there after college, I am hesitant to commit to a long lease because I don’t yet know what my job situation will be.
The company I will be interning for, Elemental Technologies, a thriving startup company located in the heart of downtown Portland, may decide to hire me after the internship is over. I am hopeful that they will, but there is always the chance that they won’t at which point I will need to look for other opportunities. I will focus my job search in Portland, but if I happen to find an offer I can’t refuse somewhere other than in Portland, I will need to relocate…again!
After many grueling trips to Portland and after seeing one awful apartment after the other, I finally found the perfect place to call home. It is the diamond in the ruff—the needle in the haystack.
I applied for the place and was accepted! It is a gorgeously redone apartment in a very nice, quiet and safe neighborhood and it is close to downtown. The place couldn’t be more perfect. I have, however, run into a few slight obstacles. First of all, I have a cat and the property owner didn’t want to allow animals. I was able to talk her into it though—whew! Of course, I have to pay a hefty pet deposit, but I’m not worried about it. Secondly, I was told it was a month-to-month rental agreement—this is perfect for me because of my situation—but the landlord is looking for someone long-term.
I wish I could see into the future and know where I will be in four months. Since that is not doable, I just have to cross my fingers and hope for a series of events that work in my favor…
Wish me luck!
