Moving Out.

So long first rental. It's been good.

I don't think I have really talked much here on this blog about my housing throughout college...and maybe that is an opportunity to do blog posts on each year and my experiences, or maybe not? Regardless, for the first four years of my undergrad I lived on campus, commuted nada, and swam. I still to this day do not own a car, and don't plan on it until I get a "grownup job". Then because of unforeseen circumstances my fourth year, and my good friend Laura (mentioned in the last post here), she and her current roommates needed a 4th roommate...and they were moving off campus. For them it wasn't a huge deal because they all owned cars, and well beggars (me), can't be choosers so I agreed and we signed a 13 month lease. I took the opportunity as just that, a good "next-step" into adulthood and living with roommates in a house that I did not own. No the house was not perfect (but what house is?) But it did have things now that I will always require in future rentals; free laundry, ample parking, and enough space so I can be by myself sometimes. You can read more about this rental {here}...all my posts about living here are labeled "1504 house".

Well last Friday, June 14th was the last day of our lease, and we handed our keys over to awesome landlords (they were truly the best!). What I think is successful is that we got our whole deposit back! Celebrations all around.

Until I get a "grownup job" and really know how my finances end up I am now living at my parents until further notice. It's kind of bitter sweet. It's most likely the last time I will "move home", but then I don't know how long, and for every 23 year-old living with your parents isn't always perfect either. However, without a job to pay for my own place and soon to be loans starting to be due it worked out better that way for me.

What did you do after your undergrad? Move home? Did you live off-campus or on campus? I know everyone is different and it's important to consider all options and what's best for your situation.

Overall I have learned a lot over the past 5 years living with a wide variety of people; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm happy though, and glad I was able to have the variety of living arrangements. 

....Now back to studying for NCLEX...

Clockwise - (middle// 12 - Ashley, Kaitlin, myself, and Laura)

Oh man. It's already Friday.

 

source unknown.

I have finally laid in my bed back at 1504 and feel settled. Last week was spring break, then Easter, then more time off from classes, and it wasn't until Wednesday that I finally got situated back at my home away from my parents home. My mind I don't think has been able to play catch up yet and is needing to switch from "break" mode to "school" mode again. This spring break pretty much lasted two weeks considering this week the only official class I had to attend was my final exercise course - that is required to graduate - and only is an hour long. My life keeps moving faster than a speeding bullet and I can tell myself starting to transition into graduation mode, into work mode, into take my boards and pass the first time, to let me just graduate already! It's hard to live a life where I am spending 40 hours in a hospital (combining paid and clinicals for class), taking time to study and take online exams, class time on campus, and still being able to relax a little bit and enjoy my final semester of my college career.

Everyday though even amongst all the craziness around me there has been moments where I definitely can see how all this is going to work out and that I have been on the right path all along. That is reassuring and I can't complain.

Well, it's Friday night and I don't work until Sunday - so I'm thinking I should take advantage of my weekend! .... now if only these flurries and snow could stop and mother nature remember what month it is!!
xoxo

Hello Christmastime!

 

kaitlin, myself, ashley, & laura

1504 Ladies, at their finest!

Kicking off Christmastime! 

We decided that since we were well situated in our home, and it now had the live in feel after 3 months of the four of us living together that it was time to have a party. What better excuse than December 1st! The official start of the Christmas season (at least according to my calendar). We had a hot chocolate bar, goodies to share, Christmas lights & trees galore, and of course; what's a party without a photo booth! Overall it went without a hitch, and it was a nice balance of college"esque" party & 20 somethings playing hostess. Don't worry the hot chocolate was homemade, and pinterest had to be involved!

   

{Photo booth}

 

I have a lot to do and get done before the 20th of this month, but I just keep taking it one day at a time!

Happy December!

And the best littlest brother award goes too....

Zachary, Zach, Z-man, Zachary Thomas 

(All of these names are ones he responds to!)

 

his was 2 summers ago, when he volunteered to be a "noodle" swimmer on Sunday morning at sunrise for a triathlon; because my place of employment needed more volunteers...

 

This was right after we dropped off our other brother for the first time away at college...good thing I live and went to college so close by to him still!

...Seriously though. What average 15-year-old boy would at a moments notice stop taking a nap with a text from his big sister to help her rake her college rental house across the city? And commit an evening to it! That would be this guy. I can't say we always get along, and the second photo is definitely a more accurate depiction of our relationship, HOWEVER, we really would do anything for each other and have each others backs. I love him to everywhere and back, and so glad my parents decided to have 3 children :) I wish I had a before an after photo of our lawn; but it was 8 large paper bags of leaves that we raked. 

That is all for this Sunday night; this week is nuts and sadly I can't go into the hospital to work at all because of it, but as I've survived the past nursing school challenges, I'll take it one day at a time!

And Zach, you won't be able to get rid of me that easy, I may be officially a "young adult" soon to be "college graduate", BUT don't expect I'm going anywhere any time soon ;-)

children, dogs, and a white picket fence

 

sources unknown.

   

Does this mean we will have some cute babies stopping by on Halloween?! I hope so!

Everything is true...there are children playing, dogs barking, and a white picket fence...well not in our yard but in the neighborhood that me and my 3 other college house-mates live in. I can't say that I exactly knew what to expect when moving off campus, but I have to say that our neighborhood is not exactly what you would think of when you think of college students moving off campus...

I would say the majority of our neighbors are young adults with young children, a few couples without children, but 99% sure there aren't any other college students, as well as the neighboring homes are lived in by the home owner, very few rental properties.

So instead of being distracted by a television show (no cable, and no network tv without being purchased)...I am distracted by children laughing, dogs barking, telephones ringing, mamas chatting,....all are pleasant things, so if this is the biggest complaint about my neighborhood...I guess it really isn't that bad. Now if only we could pick up the house and move it about 1 mile west towards campus that would be awesome.

First community clinical tomorrow @ a local homeless day-center in downtown. 

I'm sure I'll have something to post...plus it's day one of the business casual business; we'll see what I come up with.

a new home {adjustment period]

moving. the bane of any young adult's existence. i cannot say that once i have at all enjoyed the process of moving, settling in, rearranging, adjusting to a new normal, new place, different roommates, different location....i won't go on. 

So far the transition to the new house for my final year of school has gone quite well, better than expected (not entirely sure what I expected). Our house is a small, single-level plus basement abode, with 2 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, a small kitchen & dining room. The best part is the deck out back that was redone this summer by our landlord. But with every transition there is an understandably adjustment period. Here are a few things that I have started to change my habits and things when moving to this new house.

Meal planning (with the help of my roommates we do this part together!)

No-television, yes you heard me...only t.v.'s with DVD's (I don't have netflix either)

Running a fan constantly (almost)...totally not my thing, I'm getting used to it

Open windows...I've never really liked my window open

Commuting to campus...aka riding my bike or tagging along with roommates...I don't have a car

Living in a home not with my immediate family...for example, my dad isn't here to empty the dishwasher every morning or check and make sure the doors are locked, I don't have my brothers to mow the lawn, my mom to make me food.....

Just to name a few.

Overall, like I had mentioned the transition is going fairly well. I cannot say this house feels quite like "my home" quite yet, but it's still welcoming and I do feel comfortable. I'm definitely adjusting to living off campus not being able to just walk wherever I go, but I have to plan out my time. I am really enjoying being in charge of my own meal planning alongside my roommates, having a full kitchen is nice too.

That's all on my mind at the moment, I have to get back to my studies...yes I am in nursing school.   

move. in. day.

Well today was the day to move. Actually, yesterday was the OFFICIAL "move-in day" ON CAMPUS. But for my 5th/ senior/ final year of undergrad I took the leap and agreed to a 13-month lease 1.5 miles from campus. You'll be able to hear of my learning curve that will take place for my first actual home-away-from-home under the label "1504 House" {here}.

I didn't take a lot of photos, but here are a few snapshots after the work setting up the room. I should have also taken a photo of the fridge due to the assistance from my mom! My dad helped a lot with the moving and random lose ends to take care of. It's just been another time where I am so thankful for my family and how perfect they are for me.

   

   

I got a body pillow which was added from the last time you saw this bed in the post {here}, throw pillow- - a few more pillows all together. You can barely see it but in the top right photo I added a small colored rug to add color to the mostly grey - white monotone room. I'm trying to mix patterns to see how I like it so far the floral, stripes, and patterned striped pillow from IKEA are to my liking!

Well I've had a lot of trouble falling asleep the past few nights, and figured instead of doing the whole rolling in bed for up to 3 hours and not really sleeping, see if watching a movie on my t.v., in my room (first time ever having one of those in my room). It only seemed suiting to watch my one movie that always brings me comfort and makes me feel like home; The Parent Trap...no not the original; the Lindsey Lohan one. 

School starts in t-minus less than 48 hours, and I noticed today we're at a lucky 500 views, who knew?!

I know...for most people 500 views is NOTHING..but ya know, I'm just doing my thing...so 500 is great!

for the house [mostly target basics]

Labor Day Weekend - Move in day for (some) college students!

I have now shopped, moved in, and moved out more times than I care to count (4 years of college worth). Into college in the fall, back home in the summer; now since I'm officially super senior status I am a pro, right? Well maybe. Here's the breakdown.

Year 1 [first year] -
Location: On campus
Room: Freshman dorm double (2 people, 15ft X 15ft box, bunked beds)
Major Purchases: cheap target futon, bedding/ pillows etc., rented//mini fridge/freezer & microwave, printer, laptop, some utensils/ kitchen ware (hot pot!)

Year 2 & 3 -
Location: On campus
Room: Deluxe double (a room & a half with a half bath)
Major Purchases: rug, t.v., mini fridge/ freezer, lamps, bathroom stuff, vacuum, iPod dock, desk chair 
Used from before: target futon, bedding/ pillows etc., printer, laptop 

Year 4 -
Location: On campus
Room: 4 person suite in the new buildings (4 bedrooms, living space, suite kitchen (no stove/ oven), full bath)
Major Purchases: book shelf, different rug, shower curtain/ shower organizer etc., bathroom rugs, garbage cans for EVERYWHERE
Used from before: bedding/ pillows etc. (Ryley took the target futon to his first year of college), lamps, iPod dock, printer, laptop, t.v.

Year 5 -
Location: Off campus
Room: 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 living areas, small kitchen, dining room, deck, 2 1/2 car garage (single level with basement), free washer/ dryer usage (we pay utilities)
Major purchases: bed full!, desk mat, full-length mirror, bedding etc., body pillow, kitchen ware (brita water pitcher, pots/ pans, silverware)
     On the shopping list: rice cooker, small dresser,....    
Used from before/ from home: book shelves, desk, iPod dock, desk chair, t.v., rake, shovel 


Expences that incur every year that are not reusable from year-to-year:
- Cleaning supplies (paper towel, toilet paper year 2 on, windex, lysol wipes, toilet bowl cleaner, clorox clean-up...)
- Food
- Clothes
- Swim team stuff (minus my 5th year) - swimsuit, goggles, towels, team apparel
- Books (upwards of $800.00 one semester - thanks nursing school)
- Toiletries X3 (backup to restock, locker room for swim stuff, dorm room) 

The list goes on. The one thing I learned living close by where I go to school is I want to be able to run home to my room and crash without having to pack an entire overnight bag. This means my bed at home has an additional set of linens for home and one for school. Tooth brush, face wash/ lotion, shampoo/ conditioner, body lotion, body wash, deodorant, contact stuff. The things I didn't think about and eventually got double of for my room at home and at school; bed side lamp, alarm clock (bedside table), trash bin for my room & school, pillows, dirty clothes container. Now these aren't a NECESSITY but it sure makes it convenient and easy to just crash at home when I need and not be worried. I usually kept an outfit or so at home as well so I had a change of clothes.

Some of the big stuff I got so far this year for my transition to off-campus living was the following (thankfully a lot of the other 3 girls I am living with had the major furniture items that were needed to make this house a home).

 For my bedroom// Personal Space

Full Mattress & Box-spring {Slumberland Furniture Stores}

 

link {here}

Now I'm not entirely sure which bed we got...as it was delivered to my new house a month ago..but I think it's similar to what was pictured above. We just got a basic metal frame to go with it...no fancy headboard or anything.

Target Items:

 

Full Length Mirror  {Target}

This isn't a high-priced item, but all the little things add up...something practical that I'll use everyday.

 

Body Pillow & Cover {here} & {here}

I'm trying to mix patterns, but stick around the grey theme with splashes of color...we'll see how I do. I started to mention some of my room decor in this post {here}

 

Brita Pitcher - Violet {here} 

There is one in the refrigerator, but I figure two will allow for there always to be drinkable water, and then I'll be responsible for keeping this filter new and it's mine to keep!

Still on the list....

 

rice cooker. {target} - $29.99

This will be purchased ASAP seeing as I will be cooking many of my own dinners...and rice is one of my staples.

 

One small dresser option {IKEA} - $149.00 

This would be super nice to get...however something simpler & cheaper might have to do until I am out of college...we'll see what happens. I love the color of this dusky/ dark brown...it would go with my theme.

That's all I got for now...for my weekend filled with shopping, moving, organizing, and cleaning (repeat). I forgot how the 48 hours before moving all you really want to do is be ready to move and skip to organizing and settling in. I know from experience that soon enough I'll start to feel settled and have things under control...but getting sleep and not letting my mind race will be the hardest part!   

Living in the Moment

 

via. i can read.

Sorry for the silence on the blog front for those who read this consistently! I have been trying to pick up as many hours, schedule interviews, get in contact with previous interviews, trying to figure out my life with {night/ summer} class starting again!

Well within all of that I finally am proud to say I had a bed delivered to my first house away from "home"/ my parents house ever! My first real bed ever! Not actually...obviously I have been sleeping in a bed since birth, but this is my parents "last investment" and a really nice bed to me to take wherever I may! 

So on my own I set up my room, basically arranged my bedroom and put together my Ikea Desk. 

Duvet Cover & Pillowcases {here}

Similar Product {here} - GALANT Workstation, white $195

 

 

To be honest the only thing I had to buy was actual bed sheets, duvet cover and the bed itself, everything else so far has been a collection from my house over the years. Here are a few photos from the morning!

 

   

Well those are my not so high quality phone photos of my room so far!

It's finally Friday...let the weekend commence...I mean, time for more lifeguarding!