Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Renovating

I live in a pit. At the moment my belongings are all over my floor, and quite a number are all over my house in random boxes, waiting for me to find them homes in my bedroom once again.

I bought a new bed last week. It's a loft bed. I now sleep so close to the ceiling that it's reminiscent of sleeping in a camper - with slightly more clearance. It's at moments like this that I am grateful that I am short. A tall person would not enjoy my new sleeping arrangements. I, on the other hand, can prop myself up on my pillows in a semi-prone position and read in bed quite comfortably.

Underneath my new bed is my new desk, at which I am sitting to write this. My computer was the first thing I put back in place in my room. The clutter in the rest of my space I can live with, but I couldn't go without my email and internet access for even 48 hours. Pathetic, I know.

I have decided that redecorating, like starting a new job, holds a number of unseen and unanticipated costs. Yes, I have the new bed and desk that I wanted, but they have necessitated a new bookshelf (that my dad is custom building for me), a new lamp (that can be clipped on my bed so I can read at night and not have to climb down out of bed to turn off the overhead light, and several storage containers that let me store clothes that were previously hidden in the drawers of my old bed.

Nonetheless, I am enjoying my new space, clutter and all. The clutter is nearly at a tolerable level, and I have a long list of errands to be accomplished today in order to reduce it further. I like having new things. I like putting the stamp on this room that is not the me that last redecorated at sixteen. I have changed, and my new space is reflecting those changes - the things that are important to me. The teddy bear collection has been largely relegated to the garage attic for a future not in this space. To replace it is a bookcase, overflowing with books covering the topics that fascinate me now. I like having a space that is mine, that is my retreat in which to read and think, and even escape now and then. And with that thought, I must return to making this space my own. I have a list of sorting and cleaning and errands that must be accomplished to make this space less cluttered and more easily enjoyed!