My rent is going up by a ridiculous amount this year. I thought I lived in Boise, but the rent is feeling more like San Francisco. And not only did the rent increase, but they are also starting to charge for water, sewer, and trash above and beyond rent, divided between tenants. A perfectly legal practice that was intended to be used in lieu of rent increases, but lucky me, I get both at once.
I’ve had a couple days to be really angry and upset about the whole thing, getting into a big mood. Back when I just knew about the rent increase, I looked around for other places to live, but nothing in my area is any cheaper than what I was being offered. I expanded my search to Nampa and Caldwell, and I still couldn’t find anything reasonable. Especially considering I’d then need to commute a long way to work each day.
I know that I need to find another place to live, and that’s likely to mean that I need to leave Boise, probably whole the Treasure Valley. The idea makes me sad. I like where I live, work and workout. But I’m going to be priced out of the privilege of living here. There’s not a whole lot that I can do about that. I’m actually hoping that the housing bubble bursts and I can either afford to stay here or afford to get a better place at a better price, but I’ve been hoping that for a while now, and the bubble just keeps expanding.
I know that I have a choice, and I chose to stay here despite the egregious terms. Because I believe I can get through one more year before I have to give up on Boise. One more year to say goodbye to the city I’ve lived in most of my adult life. To get used to the idea of picking everything up and trying somewhere new, which does make me nervous. That’s not something I’ve done very often.
It’s not a waste of time to experience and process these emotions and be moody and a bit broody. It’s natural and normal. But I don’t want to hold onto that resentment that I feel at the property management company and the owner of the building. It won’t serve me to keep being angry, to stress myself out over and over again about something that I can’t change. I’m choosing to let go of the emotions that will only poison me and do nothing to hurt the targets of my ire.
I have a roof over my head, food on my table, a steady job, and enough laid in supplies and savings for a good backpacking season this summer. I have my needs and many of my wants. There are plenty of things that I can focus on instead of bitter anger, and that is what I intend to do. Even if (when) the utility bills are high enough to upset me all over again, I’ll let the emotions happen and then move forward, and look forward to opportunities that I might not see if I were focusing in on that anger and frustration.