Moving on up! It is not a deluxe apartment in the sky, but it is 574 square feet of home sweet home for the next chapter of my life. My grad school schedule did not leave much room for a forty-five-minute commute back-and-forth each day, let alone having to do it twice some days. Either I was going to buckle up and deal with that obstacle or do something about it. I decided moving across the street from campus was a safer option on all fronts. I would not be on the road that much, have more time to study, and I would not be frazzled about making my trips count when I could. It will be for the better for my own sanity’s sake. I made this decision back in May when I received a tentative schedule and spent an evening crying while dealing with the anxiety I was trying to suppress, but it had other plans by releasing through tears. I figured my parents would be hard to crack. Did I need to compile a PowerPoint presentation like I was entering a jury trial, or would a scribbled pros and cons list suffice? I decided going with a list would be a good starting point, and I would resort to more extreme measures if needed later. To my surprise, my mom and dad were on board later that evening. The next day, I spent my lunch and planning period virtual house hunting, took my mom to one property I liked and signed the lease by the end of the week. I was over-the-moon excited that I was going to have my own apartment during grad school, and it sure did not break my heart to give up a lengthy commute. I will, however, miss my parents because I am obviously super close to them and really have not been away from home for extended periods. It may have been a coping method or pure excited bliss, but in true Kayla fashion, my Amazon cart overfloweth with home goods. For weeks, boxes were dropped off on the porch, and my mom and I had to go hunt in the stores for the few things I could not find on the ever-plentiful Amazon interwebs. It was like Christmas, except I had to wait to get to use the stuff. Talk about torture. My parents tried to replicate the feeling of home as best they could, and they did not disappoint. I was not expecting to furnish it as much as we ended up doing, but one thing led to another. I had so much fun strategically planning my color schemes and décor, as well as picking out kitchen gadgets. From the looks of it, I should have my own Food Network show any day now with some guest appearances on HGTV. Okay, not quite, but you get the gist of how shopping with my mom went while picking certain things out. Let me just say I had to talk her down from a super duty cookware set for a more realistic one because who am I kidding? The oven and microwave will be my best friends! The day to make the move to Toledo came. Before I get too far, let me give one big shout out and thank you to my parents, my best friend, Jen, and her dad for making it all happen. We loaded up three vehicles and moving day was in full swing. Between the stairs and the boxes, I had leg and strength day covered. I should not need to hit the gym ever after this. Boxes were all over the place, but somehow, we tackled the task of cleaning everything and unpacking. Jen took one area while I took another. My dad had to go back and get my custom shelving units, and my mom kept the shelf liners coming as we cleaned. Anytime Jen and I are together, there are giggles and good times. This was no exception. The only thing that was different was the addition of my dad adding to the comic relief of our shenanigans. Picture it: my dad, Jen, her dad, stairs, shelving units, and my mom and me as onlookers. All I could say was “PIVOT!” Luckily for us, the rest of the furniture was already on the flipside upon arrival. This weekend was a blur. It took parts of three days to get everything settled and placed. I am so happy with how it all came together and cannot wait to spend my grad school years here. Although I have not lived here long, I can already say I am in love with my apartment. It will be so nice to be close to my classes, client, study groups, and research labs. It will also be nice to have friends over to make memories. My design skills were put to the test. I decided to go with pastel colors that were comforting, yet they were still young and vibrant enough to keep my creative mind space happy. Plus, my walls are stark white, so I had to do something to liven things up without going overboard. I stuck with a three-color combination. My bedroom has pops of yellow, the bathroom’s theme is coral, and the kitchen is a nice variety of aqua. Since my living room is open and ties into just about every room, I decided to tie in all three colors there, some more discrete than others, but I was not about to add a fourth color. Some of my favorite pieces in my apartment may seem a little random, but it is a true representation of me. In the living room, I wanted to add color with some wall hangings, and while I found some I liked at Hobby Lobby, something was missing. Despite some hard-core searching, my shopping came up short, but I am so happy it did. I ended up asking my dad to paint something custom, and it turned out better than anything I could have ever asked. It captures a piece of my childhood and our song and seamlessly incorporates You Are My Sunshine in a sleek design element. As for my kitchen, it became a little eclectic, if that is what you want to call it. Between my pig collection (that is a story on its own) and living in the country, the farmhouse feel in a kitchen just comes naturally to me I guess. So, with that, no kitchen is complete without a pig paper towel holder, napkin holder, and salt and pepper shakers. I am still getting settled in my home away from home. While this is not a permanent stay, it is my Toledo home sweet home for the next couple of years. I had so much fun putting all the pieces together and making it my home collection. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2018
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