What I Learned in College: Creating a Home Away From Home

*photos by kendra maarse for michaela noelle designs

One of the most important lessons I learned in college was so simple, and one that you may already know. My junior year, I lived with two of my favorite girls in a little duplex in Seattle. Since I am from the Bay Area and would come back to spend summers there, my roommates (both from Washington) picked out our house to rent.  I had no say in it, which admittedly was hard, but I was okay with it. 

Upon arrival I burst into tears. I would be living in the room that happened to be the old dining room of the house, had holes in the wall, no closet {this was truthfully my biggest concern!}, was painted a baby boy blue color, sported cold tile floors, and had glass doors into the room. My oh my, was this a daunting task. In addition, the kitchen was oddly laid out, housed the washer and dryer right next to the fridge {which came in handy when thirsty and doing laundry :) }, not to mention the floor was completed sloped and uneven.  The family who lived above us might have been the worst thing about the whole place. They were completely dysfunctional, always screaming at one another, and let their dog go to the bathroom on their balcony upstairs which then leaked onto our porch.  Simply put, it was a little bit of a hot mess. 

You know what I learned, though? A few things.
1. A little elbow grease and some great design finds goes a long way. I fixed up my bedroom and ended up LOVING it. I was so proud of how far it came. See the before and after here.
2. It doesn't really matter where you live or what the situation is. If you love WHO you're with, and you have a great support system, you will be just fine. I adored my roommates, we made the best memories in that weird little house, had a lot of laughs, and these friendships are a few of the things I miss most about Seattle. 

Friendship and roommates are such a sweet thing. I didn't have many good experiences through college with living situations, but this one was different. We lived great together and we were also wonderful friends. Community is so, so important. I'm beyond thankful for the little home away from home that we created in a seemingly hard situation. 

Did you ever experience something similar to this? Sometimes the best memories are made when you least expect it!

Enjoy your day!
xoxo