"You've signed the papers now. You can't get out of this contract for a whole year."

"I am prepared for this responsibility, ma'am." I responded with resolve as I stared into her overly tense brown eyes that peered back at me, swiming with unreadable emotions.

"I also don't tolerate late payments."

"Understood!" I responded with a chipper voice as I snatched the paperwork from her wrinkled old hand a bit too quickly.

She huffed and held up a well worn key. "Good luck, dear."

I snatched the key even more quickly than I had the papers and beamed in delight. "Thank you!" I gushed over and over and nearly hugged the old shriveled woman, quite to her dismay.

She yelped and squabbled in protest and waved her hands to ward off my excitement. Huffing and rolling her eyes, she waddled quickly away from me before I could attempt to crush her again with my overwhelming enthusiasm.

I spun around and unlocked the old, peeling red door that was in desperate need of a repaint. It creaked open and I burst through, my enthusiasm refusing to be squelched.

I ran to the center of the small empty room and threw my hands to the sky as little dust particles danced in the beams of light sneaking in from each broken piece in the blinds.

"AT LAST!! MY OWN APARTMENT!!"

I spun in a circle and beamed, placing my hands on my hips with sudden determination as I surveyed my new small abode. It was a dirty mess, but nothing I couldn't handle!

I strode back outside for a moment to grab my two well worn bags, my only belongings, left outside the front door. Bringing them inside and ploping them down on the questionable ancient carpet, I again beamed at my good fortune.

"I guess I should start as soon as possible..."

My landlord, Melinda, had made it clear I could completely renovate the space as I saw fit. Even begged me to do so, which I thought was a little odd but the idea sounded appealing to my busy-body mind. With a rent this cheap, I was completely up for the challenge!

I walked over to the wall and yanked on a corner of peeling, stained wallpaper that looked 50 years old and tossed it to the side when it ripped free. I really had no idea what I was doing, but I was going to fumble through, maybe watch some online videos and hopefully get this renovation thing right.

I have quite the task before me, I thought as I again looked around at the dirty carpet, the leaking faucet and overall disrepair of the small 3 room apartment.

Even this daunting task could not quell my enthusiasm for finally having an apartment! Little did I know, renovations would be even more difficult than I could have ever imagined.