From One Home to Another

One of my biggest frustrations with college life is moving from one place to another. I like to move once, settle in, and stay. That just doesn't happen in college for reasons such as rent, landlords, social atmosphere, location, etc. Through my four years of college, I have acquired a lot of stuff! Kitchen stuff, bedroom stuff, movies, text books that can't be sold, and I am a pack rat so that really doesn't help matters much. Having so much stuff is such a pain to move (just ask Dad, he rolls his eyes every time he comes to help me move). Moving is a pain; however, I would rather move in and out of five different places on the same day then go shopping for a new place to live. Calling landlords, looking at houses, trying to meet every one's expectations including my own is too much of a hassle.

I live in a house now instead of an apartment and I absolutely LOVE it! Granted, it is harder to be social which is a con for some people. It doesn't bother me. I have loved feeling a little more independent and feeling like I really have my own space. People from the apartment next door aren't just barging in to say hello and stay for hours on end. But after talking with roommates about what we want and who we want to live with, it is time to move on. It's been a good house. Let me introduce you:

This is my house

My front door is underneath the overhang. We actually live in the basement but it's a walk-out basement so it isn't dark and dreary.

The kitchen is the first room you enter when you walk in the front door. I have really enjoyed having fake hard floors. Although I must admit slippers are an absolute MUST especially when the heat isn't ever on.

The next room you enter is the family/living room complete with fireplace. We don't get to use the fireplace (which is sad) but I think it makes the room much homier; and it's been fun to have a mantle to decorate. We were actually able to hang stockings over the fireplace at Christmas time. How many college apartments have that feature?

The bathroom is around the corner from the family/living room. It's small but for three girls it is just great. None of us have any major privacy issues (we don't lock the door when we're showering so people can come in and out, we can change in front of each other, and some of us even pee in front of each other, you get the idea) so that keeps the bathroom flow rather smooth.

Across the hall from the family/living room is the bedroom that the three of us share. Cassie gets the top bunk, I get the bottom bunk, and Colette gets the third bed. We enjoy sharing a room and when you see the second bedroom you will understand why.

This big bedroom contains lots of closet space which is necessary for anyone really (I have seen boys with more clothes than myself).

Just a few steps past the bedroom is the study. Humans can't sleep in this room because there isn't a proper fire escape. But there are shelves (obviously) and a desk for my computer. It's been a great place to study. (Have you noticed how big these rooms are? We really haven't wanted at all for more storage space, it would be ridiculous to wish for such a thing!) Another perk about the study is that the walls are just sheet rock. We got permission from our landlord to write on one of the walls. When we say stupid things, (and we've all had our turn) it goes up on the quote wall.

Now imagine a long, dark hallway with tile floors.

At the end of the hallway is the blessed washer and dryer which I spoke of only yesterday.

Just to the left of the washer and dryer is the second bedroom.

We had a fourth roommate who lived there once. We lost her to marriage. The floors are cold (our landlord promised us carpet at the beginning of last fall) and there is zero circulation because it is so far away from everything else. Cassie is an English major and has a lot of reading to do on a regular basis. She turned it into her reading room because Colette and I are too distracting in the evenings. Cassie broke down and bought a space heater a while ago and used that to keep her alive while she read.

Now you have had a tour of my wonderful house. Can you see why I don't want to leave it? But all good things must come to an end. So we're shopping for a new house. If anyone knows of anything equally or more awesome than our little house now, please share!

One more thing, don't forget about that long, dark hallway. At the end of the hallway is not just the washer and dryer next to the other bedroom-there's a door. And where does that door lead to, you ask? You'll have to wait until tomorrow...