Surreality

There are certain moments in one's life that are memorable because of their symbolism, the physicality they bring to aging.

Getting your driver's license. Drinking your first beer (legally...). Moving out.

And now, signing the lease to your first apartment.

That last one just happened to me this past week, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm jumping in sight-unseen, aside from the photos provided by the current tenants, but I have zero anxiety. Only excitement. The place is basically everything I ever dreamed of: bright rooms, modern finishes, a touch of old Montreal flair, close to amenities, and in a gentrifying ethnic neighbourhood.

I could go on an on about this apartment despite having never set foot in it! And that lends a bit of surreality* to this whole thing. It's weird to think, and even more weird to say, that I have an apartment. "My apartment in Montreal." I've never even been to that city! How can I have a slice of real estate there?

Suffice to say, now that I have a place locked down, I'm no longer obsessively checking the "For Rent" sections of Kijiji and Craihslist. I've moved on to the IKEA website, furniture listings, and McGill's "Free and For Sale" page.

This could get dangerous.

*Yes, "surreality" is a word. It comes from the French surréalité. Which is fitting.

photo from the original apartment listing on Kijiji