I know I haven’t been posting much lately. I promise, I haven’t gone away. I’ve just been busy … packing.

Yep, I got my apartment renewal notice back in March. The apartment management company wanted to raise my rent 16%, which was approximately a $300 increase. I live in a 686 sq.ft. apartment. A $300 increase would make my monthly rent just under $2000.

Yep, you read that right. $2000 for a 686 sq.ft. 1-bedroom apartment. Welcome to the D.C. suburbs, which apparently are trying to compete with NYC and San Fran for most ridiculously expensive place to live.

I thought what I was paying was a bit ridiculous, but I really like the area. I love it because it’s walkable. I can walk down to the river, where there are parks and a bike/walk path. I can walk to Trader Joe’s and a grocery store. I can walk to King Street, where there are lots of restaurants and shops. And I was only 4.5 miles from work (commuting is a pain in D.C. when you work in an area where there’s no metro).

But this apartment is not worth $2000 a month. I paid less in Long Beach, California where I lived 6 blocks from the beach. (Ah, how I miss LBC & all my SoCal friends!)

So this weekend I’ll be moving to a just-as-nice, less pricey, and slightly larger apartment. I’ll still be in the same ‘burb, just not in the walkable old town part.

Once I get somewhat settled (i.e., unpack my computer & get my new internet service up and running), I’ll be back to more regular posting, including an update on some great books I’ve read lately.

In the meantime, tell me in the comments what books you’ve read lately. I’m always looking for new reads!