My Home Away From Home

I did it!  I survived my first week in Casper.  And with my first week over, I have so many things I could talk about.  I could talk about my SWEET job; or about all of the texts, calls, and e-mails I got this week that melted my heart; or about the super awkward and ridiculous date I went on.  But, I’m still learning the ropes at the job, and if I wrote about all the sweet words I received I totally would tear up, and my date story is SO much more fun to tell (at one point, he did use the phrase, "I'm going to have to rebuke you" on me) than write.  So, today, in honor of my first week in Casper, I dedicate this blog to my new apartment.

The outside of my very own apartment

Here it is, apartment #427.  I know it’s not the fancy apartment I told y’all about a month ago.  But, after the housing fiasco of 2013, I was thrilled when this place opened up.  It’s bigger than my other apartment would’ve been, it’s cheaper (like $300 a month cheaper) AND it’s in a safer neighborhood… so I feel very blessed to have found it.  Shall we look around?

Giant Living Room... Great for Dance Parties

     Welcome to my living room!  Isn’t it spacious?  Since I’ve only lived in furnished places before my move, I have had a bit of a problem… no furniture.  I thought about making a nice sofa or loveseat out of all of my moving boxes… but was informed that would be too white trash, even for Wyoming.  So, until I break down and buy some furniture or complete residency and move elsewhere, my living room is nothing more than a pretty big empty room.  Except  for….

One of my very favorite pictures of Christ!  I love this picture because I think it captures the Savior and His love so perfectly.  He’s so welcoming and inviting, and I love having this picture as a constant reminder of how I want to live my life.

 And, don't fret, when I have company over, and they don’t want to sit the floor---- I can pull my chairs away from the table.

My Very Beautiful Living Room Furniture

     Big empty living room problem… solved!

     After walking through my living room, you’ll stumble upon my kitchen.  

Notice the dishwasher, toaster, and crockpot... all musts!

I quickly learned having a small microwave does have it flaws.  Like being unable to put more than a small plate inside.

 

                                                                                                                                                       

Isn’t it lovely?  I do love my little kitchen, and in fact, I may call it adorable.  It’s got everything I really need to cook to survive and I feel so domestic when I put on an apron and make dinner in here.

When you step out of my kitchen, you’ll run into this…

My Dining Room

My dining room.  As you may notice, my phone is on the table and that is no oversight!  Dinner has always been a very social thing for me.  I’ve always eaten dinner in company--- whether with family, roommates, or a date--- I just don’t eat dinner alone.  So coming home and eating by myself has been hard!  After the third day of eating in silence, I had an epiphany, and now, when dinner time rolls around …. I call up someone, put them on speaker phone, and eat.  It’s made dinner so much more enjoyable. (My apologies if you ever hear my chewing).

The really neat thing about my dining room is it’s very flexible and often times it’s converted into….

A study nook.  The rumors about residency are true, it is A LOT of work.  See that giant stack of papers, that’s my reading assignments for 1 week!  AND while being a busy resident, I’m also studying for this little test called the NAPLEX (keep your fingers crossed and good vibes headed my direction on July 26^th when I finally take the test).  I’m just glad I have this sweet office to do all my studying in.

Once you leave my dining room/office area you run into a long hallway.

Long, creepy at night when the lights are off and I can't see a thing, hallway

On the right there are 2 bedrooms, the left has a storage room and a bathroom/laundry room and straight ahead is a linen closet.  Would you like to see them in more detail?

The Guest Room

First, is what I call my guest room.  I thought about making it into an office, but decided against it, in case I ever do find a roommate.  So, for now it will be my guest room for anyone who wants to come visit (hint, hint).  Just bring along a nice sleeping bag and you’ll be good to go. ;)

Across from the guest room is my bathroom/laundry room.

Love having a bathroom all to myself

On the left is the shower, the right in the door that opens up to the laundry room

I am so excited to finally have a bathroom all to myself.  I feel so grown up and independent.  The style of the bathroom is a little weird though… As you can see it’s very long because the washer-dryer hook-ups are in a closet within the bathroom.  Of course, I don’t have a washer and dryer so this has just become a place to throw all my dirty laundry and collect quarters for my trips to the Laundromat.

Laundry Room... Notice the Rolls of Quarters :)

Stepping outside of the bathroom/laundry room combo you’ll run into my bedroom.  I’ve hesitated showing pictures of my room because, as I’ve been told, “It’s classy.  And not in a good way.”  But here you go, my bedroom.

The plan was for me to move down here, and then buy a bed frame and a big girl bed instead of the twin sized bed I’ve been sleeping in forever.  But, here’s the catch… I’m cheap and stubborn… a bad combination.

Super Classy Bed (Please mom, don't shake your head.... I really like it)

I bought an air mattress to get me through the first few days, until I could buy furniture and have it delivered, and  in the process found that I liked the air mattress.  Like, a lot.  It’s like camping (which I’ve always loved) except for in a warm house with a bathroom right across the hallway (so it’s like really cool camping).  And since I’m cheap (why BUY furniture when my contact expires in a year anyway?) and stubborn (once I like an idea there’s no turning back)… it looks like the air mattress is here to stay awhile.  I promise I’m super comfortable and it’s a lot worse looking than it really is.

Other than my super classy bed, I also moved my computer and office stuff into my room.  I’ll admit, it looks pretty cluttered which is driving me nuts, so I may get a desk…. But I like having all my office stuff so readily available, especially when it’s dinner time and I need in to go somewhere.

My cluttered office area.... I really may break down and get a desk

And, if you look just across from the cluttered office area, you'll notice this hanging above my bed.

Love these guys.  And their random phone calls and texts.

  

I love this picture and I love that it's one of the first things I see in the morning, and one of the last things I see when going to bed.  My family is my world… and although we may be a state away, they will always be a big part of my life.

So, that's the grand tour.  Did you like it?  I know it's not lavish ... but I love it.  I've only been here a week and this place has already become a place of much prayer, faith, laughter, and love and I'm so excited to spend the next year here.