The Basics

You can't take it with you.


My entire apartment in Blacksburg was already packed up into boxes when I graduated from Virginia Tech and I moved back home for the summer. And seeing my apartment reduced to a couple of bags and boxes was hard enough.

So imagine downsizing everything again. To a suitcase, a carry-on, and a backpack.

I arrived at London Heathrow with my life in tow to move into my dorm room at Brunel. I never thought I'd find myself living in a dorm again after my 9-month stint in East Ambler Johnston at VT. But, I knew that I would have a private room with a bathroom which would be part of a ten room "flat" with a shared kitchen - so it couldn't be nearly as awful as what I remembered.

So this is my room. It is small, but I like it. Mostly. Sort of. I mean, it's pretty... sterile. Whoever chose the hospital green duvet cover and circa 1960s curtains needs to seriously reconsider their decorating tastes. (By the way, the door handle in the right of the picture is actually my bathroom, and not the hall door. My room is slightly larger than the photo makes it seem.)

After a trip to Ikea and "downtown" Uxbridge, I've started to settle in a bit more. Some artwork on the walls, and a trip into central London to the Kidrobot store will surely help make this room feel more like home.

The funny thing about shopping for living and kitchen essentials is that I find myself questioning if I really need stuff. Because I'll only be in this room for twelve months and is it really worth spending the money if I can't take it back with me in one of those three bags I arrived with.

So I'm walking a fine line between really making this room mine and only buying the essentials. And it's making for some really interesting decisions.



Worse comes to worse, I can always ship boxes... right?