I feel a bit odd tonight. We were let out an hour early from work because of Ash Wednesday, which is apparently a big deal to some people. So, as I sit in my faux leather arm chair writing at 8:45, I see a shadow of myself zooming around the apartment, disrobing from a cold walk with Sydney and beginning to prepare dinner, as I would do on any other night at this time. It’s amazing what this one hour has done for my mental well-being; when I return to a 40-hour work week, it will feel like my contract comes with 52 weeks paid vacation.
Last week, I discussed how having my own private space at work, my desk, was a huge benefit to my overall happiness at work. Also during the last week, my apartment became much more of a “home” with the addition of several key accouterments. The four biggest additions were all due to teachers departing the country, who, much like those departing life, could not take it with them.
The Dude knows the importance of a good rug.
The four items are: a new kitchen table set with two chairs, a fold-up futon, the aforementioned armchair, and a rug to really tie the room together.
The rug is absolutely key. It’s off-white, shag, and covers a large area, without looking garish or conspicuous. It feels great under foot, and has the side benefit of sucking up bits of fur and and small pieces of dirt that would otherwise be clumping on my hardwood floor. Sydney showed her approval by rolling around on it, and then promptly vomiting, thankfully in that order. For the record, laundry detergent and elbow grease is good at getting dog puke out of shag carpeting.
The black, faux leather chair is very comfortable, and Sydney loves curling up in it, even without her “stamp of approval.” I don’t really know what to do with it yet. This is actually the first time I have sat in it for any length of time. I think I mostly just like it aesthetically. When I sit in it, my feet get to enjoy the shag carpeting under my feet, and I can look out on my corner of Seoul through my 7th story window.
The futon is folded up against the wall to my right, next to a Tennessee state flag, hanging vertically. The flag is one of two items I have stuck to the walls, the other is a map of Seoul, with everything labeled in Korean. The futon has already hosted two couchsurfers, both of whom reported sleeping well on it.
Finally, my kitchen table set, located to my left. I traded for this with my table and chairs straight-up. My previous table was small, with very uncomfortable chairs. If I sat at my kitchen table for more than 30 minutes, my lower back would begin to have spasms. And that was if I decided to sit in the chair that wasn’t technically broken. Now, I actually have room to have a proper meal and seat another person, should that day ever come.
It’s nice to have a home, and even nicer to have an extra hour to enjoy it.