This has been the most difficult roommate search ever! In the past 6+ years of living apartment, with 4 different roommates (5, including Legally Fawn while she was doing a summer internship at a law firm), it has never taken me more than 3 days to find a roommate. A really awesome roommate. Usually, I’ve never even interviewed more than 3 people. When I met Melissa, it was love at first sight. We stared into each other’s eyes and we knew. We knew we had found the perfect roommate. And same with Shannon. We instantly knew.

And then there were 20… mostly bad roommate interviews. Three or four good ones, but still rejected for something else. Something different. Not necessarily better. The similarities between my roommate search and my dating life are uncanny. A lot of bad first dates. Some false starts. Some good connections that lead to nowhere. Sometimes it’s timing. Sometimes it’s location. Sometimes it’s just me. Sometimes it’s the other person. Sometimes we’re just not that into each other. Or I’m not into him. Or the other way around. But you get the point.

About two weeks ago, March 11 to be exact, a guy I had met with two days earlier emails me. “Hey Eliza, any chance you want to be roommates?” When we met, we had a nice easy conversation. He seemed like a nice guy. I figured, sure why not. Over the next week and a half we go back and forth over the details. He tells me he wants to move in earlier than April 1. Sure, I tell him… He comes and fills out the roommate application and signs the roommate contract. We decide he can move in Sunday (March 22). So I get the place ready. Get a maid to come clean the place. Get a carpet cleaner. Paint the room… out of consideration that he might not want to live in a room with yellow walls. He texts me on Sunday… asking if it’s ok if he moves in Monday instead. “Can we put this off until tomorrow? Everything can be effective as of today.” Sure I tell him. Not a problem.

Then Monday comes. It’s 7 pm. I get a text. He says… “I’ve decided not to move in. I found a different living situation. I will mail you one month’s rent to fulfill my obligation to you. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Yup. I’ve been stood up. Royally. Even better than the time when I got stood up 2 minutes before the date… In fact, I think this qualifies for being left at the altar…