The apartment I never would have picked became our family's home. I've learned to love it.

The author didn't think she'd be able to compromise on her list of apartment must-haves, but was able to adjust.

Courtesy of Renate Flanagan.

Right as I turned 30, I moved to the Washington, DC area for a new job. I had just gotten out of a serious relationship and was finally moving out of the small town I had grown up in. I was ready to begin a new chapter of my life and eager to embrace a metropolitan lifestyle. For my apartment search, I made a spreadsheet with my top considerations for my ideal bachelorette pad, including amenities like a pool, gym facilities, balcony, in-unit washer and dryer, and views. I also wanted it to be within a reasonable distance of a metro station.I found a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment that had it all, complete with a balcony overlooking the pool with views of Rock Creek Park. My balcony faced east, and I was greeted in the morning with gorgeous sunrises. To me, my place was perfect. Barely a year later, I would surprise myself by walking away from the apartment that checked all my boxes for something that would have scored very poorly on my spreadsheet.

After moving to Washington, DC, the author found an apartment that checked all of her boxes, including amenities like a balcony and a pool.