Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tanya picked me up and took me to her apartment, where I’d been
having doubts about living. I was afraid of things breaking down and leaks and mold and bugs and of
being robbed/mugged. What have I gotten
myself into? I asked myself over and over. I wasn't in the bubble of the hostel anymore.
When we arrived, I took my things out of Tanya’s truck and
carried them in while she finished cleaning up and then took off for the
library. She texted me a short while later to say that she was leaving
soon, so I biked back over. When I pulled up to the driveway, though, I noticed
her truck wasn’t there. I looked around and thought, You know, this neighborhood isn’t so scary-looking after all. I opened the door and came into the house.
Walking in was magical. It hadn't changed in appearance, but it was different. I looked around and thought, All mine. A place of my own. I knew I’d
only have it for two months, but it was wonderful. Tanya is an artist, so there
were paintings, photographs, art supplies, and art books throughout the room, like The Story of Art, Worlds of Art. The bathroom had a
skylight, so natural light could come in easily. I also had an
entire (small) refrigerator all to myself.
The place wasn’t without quirks and there weren't laundry machines or a stove, either (but I did have a microwave, dishes, and an electric kettle to make tea!). I didn’t care about what I lacked, though, because
I’d only be here for two months. And honestly, I loved it. I loved every bit of
it. It was artistic and quirky and only
mine. I never thought of myself as domestic, because I am such a minimalist when it comes to decorating. But being here, I now let all my domesticity (wherever it had been lingering)
overtake me: I imagined myself living happily here making breakfast, doing chores,
and watching movies. I walked around the room slowly, taking it all in and
noticing every detail. Then, after a few minutes of basking in solitude, the
first thing I did – before I even unpacked – was have lunch. It was only noon
and I was already having a great day.
Here are some photos:
No comments:
Post a Comment