Two Homes

At some point, Matt and I will probably move in together. Until then, I need to somehow solve the little hassles inherent in renting my own apartment while spending most of my time in a different one.

My morning routine lately is that I wake up at Matt’s place in Manhattan, throw on whatever clothes I was wearing the night before, walk to the PATH train, take the PATH to my stop in Jersey City, walk home, bring in yesterday’s mail, shower and change for work, leave my apartment with my morning paper, walk back to the PATH, and then take the PATH to Newark for work. It takes at least an hour and a half, door to door. It’s too inefficient.

A couple of factors cause difficulty. One is that I need to stop at home at least once a day, or else my mail and my newspapers will pile up. The other is that if I stay over at Matt’s place, in order to go directly to work the next morning I need to have some work clothes to change into; it won’t do to wear the same clothes to work, day after day. But I don’t have enough work clothes that I can leave some at Matt’s place and some at my place. Plus I need something to put on when I get to Matt’s place in the evening.

Also, I use an electric toothbrush. If I used a regular toothbrush, there’d be no problem — I could own a couple, and keep one in my apartment (where I do occasionally spend the night) and one at Matt’s place. But it would be expensive to own two electric toothbrushes and a hassle to carry one around with me all day.

Maybe it’s not easily solvable — maybe two apartments just requires twice as much stuff. I guess I need to buy more clothes. But there’s still the issue of the mail and the daily newspaper.

How do other people deal with this?

17 thoughts on “Two Homes

  1. Pingback: The Tin Man » Another Gift

  2. How do other people deal with this?

    Personally, I sleep around a lot. See how many complications a boyfriend can cause?!

    Start forwarding your mail to a PO box in the City that’s on your way to the train; then you can deal with the mail on your commute. Read the paper online or start having it delivered to Matt’s place. Invest in a toothbrush (or just have one and brush your teeth before you leave Manhattan — and before you smooch Matt) and more clothes.

  3. I’ve got a new honey, and I’m in the same boat. My suggestion is mostly in agreement with Brad’s. Figure out where you spend the most time (sounds like Manhattan), and leave the electric toothbrush there. Keep an extra non-electric one at your place. I think it sounds like you have to start leaving more of your clothes in one place as well.

  4. I agree with all the advice, but i also have to say you don’t have that bad at all from where i stand.

    I’m seeing someone in Brooklyn, and I live in Red Bank, NJ, while working in Jersey City – and I enjoy my time in Red Bank (in other words, you won’t see me becoming a de facto resident of the outer borough). You got it sweet compared with the logistical pretzels I must bite into. If I were to follow your lead (and I don’t – sparing my sanity) it would take three hours plus!

    Oh, and buy more clothes… definitely.

    -k.

  5. My boyfriend and I went through the exact same thing, and it was a hassle even though I only lived ten minutes away from him. I started leaving more and more clothes at his place, got the second toothbrush and finally cancelled my newspaper and just read his. But the frustration never ended.

    The only totally satisfying solution is to move in together. I recommend doing it as soon as you’re both ready.

  6. Again, you must make no plans to move in together– indeed, you must not even begin to consider it– until you have made that trip to romantic Toronto and legalized your relationship. The honeymoon at Viagra…. err, Niagra Falls– the Canadian side, of course– is optional.

    To do otherwise would be to live in sin, and thereby to make an utter mockery of the Heartland Moral Values that now officially pervade this great and righteous nation. It’s your patriotic as well as moral duty to make your relationship legitimate, in the eyes of competent Canadian authorities if not the Church of the United States. And, while you’re at it, you can get your prescription drugs at substantially lower prices. How could you resist such a deal?

    Get ye unto Toronto post-haste, and sin no more, eh!

  7. Hell if I know… I can’t get a guy to have a second date with me… how can I get a guy to move in?

    What am I talking about? I can’t get a guy to have a FIRST date with me.

    Pout.

  8. Clone yourself and send the drone to work while you lie in bed with Matt and eat bonbons and watch Netflix movies and walk around with big fluffy slippers on. You are lucky to have your problem, it will all work out well in the end.

  9. I was waiting for someone to ask that question. We usually have to stay at my place because I work as a Residence Hall Director and have to be available for emergency situations, etc, in the middle of the night.

  10. Also, most of the stuff we like to do is in Manhattan (there’s almost nothing to do in Jersey City). So it just makes sense to spend more time at Matt’s place, which is there.

  11. Certainly recommend moving in together when the time is right. I just did and it worked out well. I would suggest getting 2 bathrooms though – very convenient, and great for parties ;)

Comments are closed.