I went for a walk in the snow yesterday. (It’s far from my favorite weather, but my steps aren’t gonna take themselves.) After a few minutes, I dipped into the science center to take a break from the cold. I haven’t been in there since March. It was almost empty (it was Saturday afternoon, after all), and as I walked around, I found some nooks that I hadn’t seen before. So this morning, I trekked over and spent an hour doing work in a new place. (I say trekked, but it’s literally a 7-minute walk from Shafer.)
This semester, I’m almost always in my room. Unless I’m in class, eating, or working out / going to practice, I’m probably in my room. At my desk. Mindlessly twirling my hair. A handmade calendar hangs in front of me, reminding me of due dates; off to the other side, the window offers a glimpse of students walking between Lulu and the Academic Quad. The sun is blinding in the afternoons.
I didn’t put my usual amount of effort into decorating my room this year, since there was no guarantee of how long I’d be here. One of my wall hangings keeps falling down, but the other one is still up. If I’d known when I arrived that I’d have a full year here, or even a full semester, I would’ve seen about lofting one bed and hanging my hammock. And I definitely would’ve put up my favorite, 15-foot long fabric. I would’ve organized things in my extra dresser (I didn’t, because I worried about forgetting things in drawers if I had to pack up in a hurry).
Despite the uncertainty of how long I’d be in Shafer 201, and my hesitation to spend valuable time turning it into a home, I think I’ve spent more time in my room than I did all last year. I like my room! It’s big, and it has four windows. There’s space to use my bike in its trainer, and a whole bunch of hardwood floor to admire.
But spending all day in the same space can make me feel like time isn’t passing. I can’t say if I’ll do it again before I head home, but my little venture to the science center was worth it, even just for an hour.
Today’s new study nook
Billings in the snow this morning
The stairs up to Clapp Library