the apartment dance

As I mentioned here, it's very easy for a foreigner to find and move into an apartment in BA. With just your suitcases, a few extra belongings you may have picked up along the way, and no leases or contracts, a move can take less than an hour, as opposed to the day long process it becomes in the states.

Recently I moved out of the apartment I had been in for my first 2 months in BA, and into a new one not far away. I had what I came to BA with - 2 suitcases and a backpack, all very full - plus a few shopping bags of groceries and extra belongings that wouldn't fit into my luggage, and a mirror and a fan I had picked up from friends moving back to the states. My landlady let me out of the building and said bye as I moved everything to the sidewalk where I was planning on hailing a cab. For about 5 minutes I was standing on the curb alone, attempting to hail a cab, homeless, no keys to any apartment, with all my belongings at my feet. It turned out to be the easiest move I've made (no furniture, minimal unpacking time, no leases to sign) but that 5 minutes definitely also made it one of the most comical moves I've ever made. All part of the experience!