It Is Indeed Green Here
When it comes to living arrangements, I will begin by talking about the thing that first jumped out at me when I entered my current abode. The flooring. Now, when I imagined where I would stay while studying on a campus that is mere feet away from a legit castle, I pictured something quaint, even cozy. Stone covered in ivy, beautiful views, wooden features. An overall medieval feel. Instead, after having to use my cell phone to unlock three different doors, I was hit with what I can only describe as a grubby lime living its second life as a floor. Carpet and linoleum. I know this might sound like a wild description, but I will include photo evidence so you can see what I mean. Not only is it lime green, but it is also littered with mystery stains, which I can only speculate point to the original use for this building —a putt-putt course. Alas, the world may never know.
The craziest thing is, there is quaint accommodation on campus, it’s just on the opposite side of campus, the pretty side. The side we live on is modern. Iron and glass everywhere. Abstract sculptures, geometric shapes, the whole bag. Then all you have to do is cross the road that splits the campus in half, and suddenly you are in picturesque Ireland – large, moss-covered stone buildings, a massive Gothic church, and a beautiful, green courtyard. Below is a picture of the casual beauty that I encounter when I cross the road on my afternoon runs. (Psst, there’s a picture of the church if you scroll down). A perfect example of a juxtaposition. Wow, 11th-grade honors English class is coming in clutch for the big words today.
ANYWHO, I’m getting carried away, per usual. I truly can’t complain about my apartment. It’s located on campus and only around a five-minute walk to any of my classes, a 10-minute walk to the shopping center, and 20-minute walk to the train station. It’s what real estate agents would call “prime property”. I like to think that its lack of character makes the bare minimum effort that my flatmates and I put into decorating it look amazing. We have already arrayed one wall with some beautiful self-portraits, and week-old flowers are currently living in an old pasta sauce jar on our kitchen table. Yeah, we’re classy around here.
As for my own room, I will stick to minimal decoration as I do not want to have a lot of things to deal with at the end of the semester, as I’m trying to pack for my flight back. As compared to MLC, it is grand. I have my own FULL bathroom connected to my room. Gone are the days of scampering down the hallway in a towel on the way to the shower. Along with that, there is plenty of storage space, which is completely wasted on me currently, as I am living as a vagrant. Not sharing a room and sleeping under someone else has also been an amazing luxury. Not that I don’t enjoy having a roommate to keep me sane, shout out to Heather, but it is a breath of fresh air to feel a sense of independence after living in a dorm for so many years.
Unfortunately, with independence comes maintenance, namely cleaning, which my flatmates and I have found to be frustrating as hair seems to collect so quickly and the bread here seems to be so crumbly. Maybe the lime green just makes it more obvious, who knows? While we’re on the topic of first-world problems, making my own food sounds all fine and dandy until I actually have to go and buy groceries and walk them back home. For those wondering, a backpack is always the way to go. Independence also requires self-regulation and motivation, which is easy to slack on when you have the option of rotting in your room without anyone knowing or saying a word. Those are the times that I have to remind myself that I am in IRELAND and that I should make the most of the time that I’m here. Luckily for me, my flatmates think the same way.
Ah! What a natural segue into talking about said flatmates. All four of them are from the US, but from different parts of the country. Michigan, New Jersey, California, and Kentucky. We are all very different, yet we somehow manage to get along very well. As I mentioned in my last blog, we have had to find familiarity with each other fairly quickly. We’ve all made the unspoken choice to stick together and are even getting to a point where we can actually be vulnerable with each other. I’ve had interesting conversations with each of them already, and I look forward to the adventures that we will go on together. A trip to London is currently in the works, which will definitely shake out to be the weekend of a lifetime.
Well, now is the time in the show that I must bid adieu as I must run to class, but just know that I am very much enjoying my time abroad. I really don’t mind the crumbly bread. It’s actually much better than any bread that I’ve ever eaten in the caf. Yes, that was subtle shade. Oh, also, my apologies for all of the dramatics throughout this entry; it’s been a week. Ok, I actually have to go now. Classes here may start five minutes later than the appointed time, but I don’t want to be the person who makes people have to stand up, so I can get a middle seat in the lecture hall. Until next time!
Peace and Love,
Mathilde