I had a bit of a unique off to college story. My parents moved just days before I attended orientation. We packed up our El Paso house, went to orientation and then moved into our house in metro Detroit. Then just a couple of weeks later, I moved on campus to start classes. Meaning, I never had a chance to settle in my parents new house. There was a ton of transition in the month before I started classes at Michigan State.
I lived on campus my freshman year, but joined my sorority just a few weeks into the semester. It quickly became my home. I was thrilled to move in halfway through my sophomore year, and I've lived there since.
When I went off to Michigan State three years ago, I started a process of defining and refining my sense of style and design. There's been lots of changes during my time in college, and I'm sure there will be more in the future.
When I moved in last fall, I was determined to actually move in. I was done feeling temporary in all of my spaces, and it's the first time I had a space to myself. Even though it's not permanent, it's home.
The biggest thing I did when I moved in, was create a gallery wall. I painted most of the canvases above. The largest one that sits above my head was a birthday gift from my incredibly talented little. The other art featured on the wall that I didn't paint include the twin canvas (a gift from my twin), the wine canvas (a gift from my former roommate) and the GG (a gift from my grand little).
This serves as a focal point for the room and I love how much meaning each canvas has. The gifts are all special to me and I choose other themes that mean a lot. Courage is one of my signature words and AOII has clearly played a huge role in my life. It's also nice to have a constant reminder to be happy!
It's amazing to me how much joy and comfort can come from a physical structure. But it's so much more than four walls and comfy couches. The AOII house has become a home thanks to all of the wonderful, loving, welcoming women who live in it and visit it each week for chapter meetings.
Interior design is important, but so are the people who you choose to surround yourself with each and every day.
This post is a part of a series - Starter Stories - hosted by Urban Compass. Urban Compass is a NYC-based real estate platform that helps people find houses and apartments that they can call home.
