First Day of Life

I'm sitting in my dorm room. In the living room/ kitchenette room. It has two windows. One is to my left, on the wall my desk is facing, one is to my right, on the wall I'm facing. And they open out onto a large extended balcony which I share with the other people on my floor. So, I can leave my apt through one window, and come back through the other. It's kind of like I have my own balcony, though, because when the balcony wraps around to the window on my right, it dead ends in the third window that is my bedroom window. So I share that part with nobody.

And this is my place now.

Inside, everything is inexpensive, but clean and nice. My closet in my bedroom smells like wood, as if it were new. I am at my new looking desk. It's already covered with my stuff, but it's so shiny, it's odd. I must be too used to Chicago places. Even when you walk in for the first time, you know the place has been lived in. The paint is chipped in places; the floor is dirty, and perhaps still littered with traces of the last tenant; things don't work. The only signs that this place has ever been lived in are the slight stain on the linoleum and the flecks of stuff on the desk I didn't chose. That desk still has its chair perched on top of it. The bed two feet away from mine still has its night stand on top of it.

And this is my stuff.

The cupboard by the stove already looks like mine. My chainik (tea pot) is sitting on it, almost empty of tea. It's box is on top of some bright green napkins, and my spices are arranged neatly in a row.

Full/ covered places:
Desk, bed, cupboard, fridge, kitchen table

Empty places:
Shelves, closet, hallways and floors

And I'll be living here.

My favorite part is the view from my "private" window. It looks out onto the hill on the other side of the river. The hill is green with trees and dotted with houses. At night, they shine prettily. I'll be coming out there a lot, until it gets cold.

I bought two plates that are flat in the middle, but rise up on the sides. That way, I have both plates and bowls. And I have one cup, two knives, a pan, a pot with lid, and a spatula. And my chainik and chop sticks. And that's all there will be. When I have guests, I'll just have to buy plastic stuff. As it is, I'll be sad to part with the plates. They have bright red flowers drawn on them.