<p>6%? lol</p>
<p>a lot of the places I’ve looked at online seem to be 40-50%. Just have to remember that grumpy people are much more likely to write a review than happy people.</p>
<p>also, am sending you a PM</p>
<p>Have you try what the commute is like from Bethesda or Silver Spring to Ft. Meade? it may take you 30 min just to get off the Beltway. My colleagues lived in Silver Spring for a long time has mentioned that the area is coming downhill. You will be get better housing in Laurel for the same price. But if you want to be closer to your friends or DC, how about upper New Hampshire Ave or around Greenbelt?</p>
<p>I guess my son was lucky. His company also contracts to the gov and they allow him to start working last year in areas not requiring clearance until his got his clearance a few months later. Maybe something you can bring up with your company so that you can securing housing.</p>
<p>@davh01-- I haven’t driven it, but I don’t spend much time on the Beltway. I’ll also be at work by 7, and I remember traffic being at least slightly lighter at that point. I heard the exact opposite of Silver Spring, and when I was there yesterday I didn’t feel unsafe or uncomfortable in the slightest. I’m also working with my company on the same thing your son did, just waiting to see what they can do. </p>
<p>@soccerguy-- Yes, 6%. My apartment is huge and cheap, but hasn’t been renovated since the 1970s. There’s 1 outlet in the bathroom and it’s attached to the light fixture above the sink…shows how useful that is. Also I definitely agree. Someone gave a complex I really liked a 1-star rating because they came to re-glaze her bathtub and it smelled bad. Maybe my standards are low, but jeez.</p>
<p>Hi, soccergurl - sounds like you’re handling things well. I love the way you’re already finding connections! A long-distance move to a place where you don’t know people can be hard. I moved from L.A. to Maryland with my husband quite a few years ago, and even that was tough. Not encouraging you to dwell on it, but don’t beat yourself up for feeling that way!</p>
<p>One plus in moving to the D.C. area is that it is to a large extent a very transient place, so that there are always lots of newcomers. So you’re very likely to run into scads of people who are in the same boat as you and also anxious to make friends. </p>
<p>Finally, I agree that it would really be crazy to live in VA and work at Ft. Meade - your car would basically become your life. One accident on the beltway (not your accident!) and half you day could be shot. There have been some good suggestions here; I would like to throw out a couple more. One way to be relatively near your VA friends would be to live in western Montgomery county (or the outer part of NW D.C. somewhere where you could get to the new “Inter County Connector” - a toll road that runs sort of parallel to the D.C. Beltway but further north. It can take you from I-270 over to Laurel, which is pretty darn close to Ft. Meade. It would cost you about $8/day in tolls, but it might be worth it for your mental health. Here’s a link with more info: <a href=“http://www.mdta.maryland.gov/TollFacilities/ICC.html[/url]”>http://www.mdta.maryland.gov/TollFacilities/ICC.html</a></p>
<p>The other possibility is living in the greater Annapolis area - not great access to Virginia, but a very nice area, with a lot going on socially (or so I’m told), with lots of water-related recreation. May or may not be your cup of tea, but you might want to check it out (it’s nice to visit in any case). It would probably be a commute of 45 minutes or so (check with the folks at work - I’m sure some of them live there), but you get to avoid the beltway.</p>
<p>Good luck - sounds like you’ll do fine.</p>
<p>I am pretty close to your age if you are a traditional student. I moved pretty far away for a job I didn’t really want too much. I was very anxious about it and dreading it- both the job and the move. I had to relocate to an area where I didn’t know anyone at all, from a big city to middle of no where. and it IS NOT D.C. or anything close. not at all. the only attraction is a 25mile drive to walmart supercenter. I would say that after everything ( apartment wise, electricity, cable etc) was set up things became much easier. The logistics were part of the dread, but I remembered that people get it done all the time. The bank -most jobs have direct deposit. Look up banks in D.C and see if there are any near you and open up an account before you move. DMV etc is a hassle, as usual but that can get accomplished.I would recommend going out when you can.D.C. has a ton of stuff to do . MANY museums and shopping and more. There will also be a pretty good amount of people in your age range.</p>
<p>Currently dealing with the stress of trying to pull off a x-country move in like 2 weeks. I’m not comfortable driving a U-haul/Penske/Budget truck 11 hours, nor is my boyfriend, so I’m trying to spring for a professional company. Had an appointment scheduled with Allied today, but apparently he was already booked at that time and they cancelled on me (sigh). Hoping someone takes pity and has space for me!</p>
<p>I don’t think you have anything to worry about. The fact that you’re 24 years old and using College Confidential to help you make significant life choices proves that you’re more than ready for the real world.</p>
<p>OP,
It sounds that you are having anxiety because you are not letting your family to help you. Why not?<br>
What is your real worry? You are going to speak the same language, live among people of the same culture, correct? There is nothing to worry about. Feel very privileged that you have had many job offers at the time when most struggle to have a single one. Let you family help you as much as possible. You should really celebrate, have party, drink for your success,…and instead you feel in a hole. Your hole is imaginary, be very positive, there are many times in our lives when we have real problems, tragedy, people relocate to places where they cannot use their language. Save your worries for the real problem, be happy for the very exciting future that not many can experience now.</p>
<p>@IvyLeaguer–Not sure if that was meant to be a backhanded piece of snark or not, but I’m definitely not using CC to make significant life choices. Seeking a series of second opinions? Definitely. I’m not from the east coast, nor have I (or my family) ever moved out of my Midwestern bubble, so opinions from people who HAVE done what I’m doing are much appreciated. </p>
<p>@MiamiDAP–I am letting my dad help me, the rest of my extended family is too busy with their own toddlers and upcoming babies to help!</p>
<p>Any progress on finding a moving company?</p>
<p>@IllinoisMom–Yes! ABF U-pack is dropping off a trailer tomorrow and picking it up Friday, with delivery in Maryland on Tuesday. They’re a freight company that sells spare space in their trailers for moving…and could accommodate me in a snap at a decent price. Allied gave me an 11 day window in which they could drop off my stuff…now that’s what I call a hostage situation! </p>
<p>I’ve spent yesterday and today packing…and packing…and packing. I’ve gotten it down to an art after moving in/out of sorority houses and dorms, but that’s more of a ‘throw everything in a box or in the trash’ type of packing. I’ve actually had to wrap glasses and dishes…a new concept to me!</p>
<p>@ivyleaguer2400: I’m 57, and I’ve asked people on this forum for advice lots of times. There are people here with a wide variety of experiences, and most of them are amazingly helpful. I’ve gotten some excellent ideas here about how to handle a variety of situations.</p>
<p>And occasionally, I’ve been able to pay it forward by sharing some potentially useful information with other posters.</p>
<p>You might want to try it instead of wasting your time on gratuitous sarcasm.</p>
<p>soccergurl, my sons live in DC and often visit friends in Baltimore…let me know if you need any help.</p>
<p>Just keep in mind that if you make any stumbles while going about the process of becoming an independent adult…that these stumbles aren’t fatal, merely inconvenient learning experiences.</p>
<p>You will do just fine. </p>
<p>You’ve already demonstrated you have a good head on your shoulders.</p>
<p>Quick check in–just spent 10 hours today loading my life’s belongings into a truck. Things I learned: I need to befriend more beefy guys to help move heavy couches and dressers. Dad and BF would appreciate that 
</p>
<p>I’m getting the keys to my apartment a day early, on Sunday…means one less day in my beloved Bloomington 
also means sleeping on a new housewarming present (an air mattress) for a couple of nights, haha.</p>
<p>Try contacting a local mover that might have someone that would want to do this on the side, so to speak. We used someone local that had someone that would drive the stuff over 8 hours away, move it in, then drove back. It was well worth the cost.</p>
<p>you can just use College Hunks Hauling Junk…</p>
<p>I learned about them on Shark Tank (tv show), when the owners were trying to get the rich people to invest in their newest idea, “College Foxes Hauling Boxes”</p>
<p>@soccerguy315–I actually called them! But they were booked</p>
<p>I ended up just going with the contractors that my mover could guarantee booking with. $340 for 2 guys/2 hours, but we need the help.</p>
<p>I’m dealing with the chaos of signing a lease 600 miles away right now, scrambling to get everything done before we leave tomorrow. My leasing consultant has been having me FedEx everything to her, and she wanted me to do the same with the lease and my prorated 1st month rent, so I did. Only after it’d already departed Bloomington did she realize that it wouldn’t get there by Sunday and ‘they have to have it to give me the keys.’ Guess who gets to call her today and be like look what do you want? I also had to pay $75 to change the drop time of my moving truck because someone had already reserved the service elevator during my drop time. </p>
<p>Took a nice long walk with the BF last night at dusk on campus, reminded me how gorgeous IU really is and how big of a part it’s played in my life. I’ll miss the hundreds of trees, the Old Crescent, the clocks playing music, and how friendly the wildlife is </p>
<p>In turn last night, I kind of realized that I think I’m afraid to be happy about moving. I’m so frazzled right now that being excited is a bit out of the question, but I’m definitely afraid to be happy. Somewhere in my mind I feel like that if I’m happy, it means I’m happy to not having my boyfriend, friends, and family around me and in my life, even though I know that’s definitely not the case. I really just want this to be over</p>
<p>You’re going to an area that many people like very much. You may be surprised by how pleasant it is (once the summer heat and humidity die down). </p>
<p>The air mattress was a good investment. My son, who was flat broke when he left graduate school to get his first job, slept on one for six months in his new apartment. It worked out fine. The air mattress also makes a good guest bed for when people come to visit you.</p>
<p>Update–I’m officially a resident in Silver Spring, MD! In the past 24 hours, the BF + me drove 12 hours (including an hour spent in the parking lot that was 270S due to an incredibly bad accident), got my keys, unloaded the few items in my car, signed my lease, scheduled cable/internet installation, coordinated my truck to be dropped off, and switched my bank accounts. Oh and made an emergency TP run to CVS (whoops…minor omission). Still have some minor kinks to work out, like getting a spot in my parking garage since apparently they’re out and thus I have to park my car on the street every night until I can get a spot. Also have had some great surprises, like getting a free washer/dryer in my apartment since the new management company didn’t know I had it…and a $300 first month rent concession since they couldn’t get done painting my bathroom before I moved in!</p>
<p>Overall though, I’m surviving. It’s been weird realizing this is my new home now, my bank account and email look like a bomb went off, and it’ll take some time to get into a routine, but I think I’ll eventually like it here. Once I figure out the way to the nearest grocery store that’s not a Whole Foods</p>
<p>Congrats! I think you are really going to love it out there. PM me if you have any more questions.</p>