a room with a view

This is the view from my balcony and living room. It isn't Ann Arbor, but it definitely doesn't look like Ypsi, which it is. (actually, if you want to get technical, it's Pittsfield Township. So if I suddenly had children they would go to Ann Arbor schools : ). All I see when I look out are trees, a bit of lake, lawn and the pool, but mostly trees.

The hunt for a new place to live is finally over. It was my mini epic adventure. I ended up finding my own apartment after a lot of prayer and searching. Literally, every attempt I made at finding a roommate failed. I think I talked to about 6 or 7 potential roommates and one possible sublease. At one point in my search a really horrible Arabic man yelled at me in such a mean and unexpected way I cried for the rest of the night. I remember it clearly - threatening to ruin my nice July 4th weekend. That was the one not so possible sublease. Then, I even considered living with a mom and her 7 children and be a sort of live-in nanny, which I imagined would have been a lot like Maria and the Von Trapp family kids in The Sound of Music (there were 7 after all). They all are super cute and blond and blue eyed. But that didn't work out in the end either. It probably wouldn't have been quite the fairy tale I imagined in my head. I thought it would be a great way to learn how to take care of kids (since I have never ever watched kids) and save money on rent. Apparently, I was meant to have my own place and I'm trusting God will provide, because this is definitely more than I'm used to paying. I did find an excellent deal and really found favor, because the apartment people gave me a unit that was not marked for any discounts or specials. Ok - I'm still getting used to the whole Ypsi part of the deal. That was the trade off. I do miss my ultra safe northeast side of Ann Arbor neighborhood and feel displaced from my natural habitat. And try telling grandmothers or people who are not from around here how to spell and pronounce "Ypsilanti." It really is a strange word. But these details can be overlooked with time, because I have my own place.

It's pretty minimal at the moment. I have decided not to have a microwave or television. I do have a radio and I plan on getting a turntable so I can play records. I'm trying to keep electronical devices and other wave making machines to a minimum. Free wifi is coming from somewhere, not sure where, but I am thankful for it. Basically, I'm trying to keep everything free of anything I don't absolutely need or that would take a lot of electrons. And I am so thankful I don't have to deal with any made up rules regarding how to sit on sofas and the appropriate use of throw pillows. See my previous post "Pillow Fight" which references the Secret Throw Pillow Society's Manifesto and explains how my previous 2 roommates were honorary members of the society. I think I'm an anarchist in the world of throw pillows. And sort of a hippie with no microwave or television. I have not denied myself the privilege of having throw pillows however. Actually, my priorities on what to buy for the apartment have been more geared toward aesthetically pleasing additions than to practical necessities. For example, I have a fancy bamboo/teak tissue box cover and expensive candles, but I never bought a proper trash can for the kitchen. I just don't see the point of spending money on something that holds trash and that you never look at. I see those stainless steel trash containers for $100+ at the store and wonder why I need to enshrine my trash in a sort of decorative urn. Yet at the same time the plastic ones and almost all trash bins are so ghastly to look at. I am once again deeply conflicted. I resolved to buy one that I can hide away in the cabinet and that costs virtually nothing, but I secretly long to enshrine it in a stainless steel urn because I'm ridiculous.