You Know It's Time to Go When...

You know it's time to move out of your apartment when...

• The toilet seat lid breaks off.
• The mailman removes your nametag from your mailbox.
• The lightbulbs on the bathroom mirror go out, one by one, and you don't replace them.
• The knob falls off the kitchen cabinet and you can't screw it back on.
• The wireless internet service is so spotty you have to repair the connection every five minutes.

I don't think I've ever slept well in this apartment (except when on Nyquil or codeine), having been terrorized by mice or ghosts or poltergeists or my own brain turning on itself most nights. Last night was no exception, waking up at 3 a.m. hot and anxious, the amber streetlights seeming brighter than ever with the blinds and curtains removed from the front windows.

I look forward to sleeping well again one day. I know it won't be tonight, in a new room with new smells and new sounds and new lights to keep me awake. But although I'm bringing my bed with me, I hope to leave the ghosts behind...

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