The Dorm Room

So here is the snazzy new home.  Exquisite, isn't it?!

With a little TLC, this will be the perfect little place for 1 year of school.

• 3 excellent underbed drawers (and yes, that's a twin mattress!)
• 4 humongous storage cabinets over the bed
• 1 oddly-placed cabinet next to desk (although to open cabinet door fully, one must move desk, which I have not yet found to be possible).
• lovely sitting area next to window, brilliant for afternoon tea
• functional corkboard and hip chrome desk lamp
• perfectly-placed reading lamp on wall by bed
• charming combination of russet-colored carpet with warm-hued window treatments.

Le Bain:

Note the separate hot and cold faucets. 

To avoid scalding the hands, it's either back and forth between cold/hot or use the drain plug.  It seems the Irish are green in many ways, as it certainly teaches you to use less water!

and now, the saddest part of all:

...a small closet indeed.  5 lone hangers, soon to be donned with jackets, dresses and cardis.  Must find new Irish woolen companions to keep them company.

So this little charmer of a dorm is referred to as an "ensuite" room, just like European hotel rooms.  It basically means I have my own bathroom, which I feel very fortunate to have. 

Each floor in my building has 4 dorm rooms and a shared kitchen, which is almost large enough for Barbie and Ken.  I will post photos later.

However, I'm not complaining.  It's unlikely that all 4 of us will need the kitchen at the same time.  We have no oven, but the microwave oven allegedly doubles as a convection oven, which, I'll be honest, I initially had no clue what this meant, other than it can kinda/maybe double as a regular oven?  Regardless, I'm not currently motivated to learn to use it.  Focusing on necessities, the only thing this kitchen is truly missing is a wine refrigerator.  :)

Other dorm buildings have, in addition to a community kitchen, a "common room" with sofas and television.  However, those dorm buildings also have community bathrooms.  I can do without the common room in favor of my own clean bathroom.


So you could say I've considerably downsized from my little Irvine home.  Here are a few pics for old times sake.  This little 516 sq foot haven provided 7+ years of cozy good times!  Goodbye, little apartment.  I will miss you, but it's time for new adventures now!

(I do miss that walk-in closet...)