True story: It took my roommate, Nathan, three months of living in our apartment before he finally unpacked all of his boxes — and even then, he progressed only from having piles of boxes all over his room to having piles of books all over his room. To this day, the only furniture he has is a futon, two small bookcases, and a lap desk. A small desk lamp (sans desk), two gigantic bikes (dude's over six feet tall), and a disproportionately small rug round out his decor.
Another true story: After five years of working in a thankless retail job here in Boston, Nathan quit and decided to spend his summer of freedom on his family's ranch in Colorado. Two months passed with no word from him until Andy and I received an email saying that he'd been exploring the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains in Alaska and, among other things, we should definitely re-sign the lease for another year.
If you say so. Check!
Weeks went by before we got another update: he'd since gotten a job as a camp cook/horse whisperer/latrine digger in the Brooks Range and as soon as he got his paycheck, he'd start making his way back east.
That particular update was more than two weeks ago. No word since. Anxiety levels: rising.
No offense to Boston, but it just can't compete with the Alaskan wilderness. I know it, you know it, and I'm sure Nathan knows it, too, which is why I'm starting to feel a little like he may have changed his mind and decided to become a permanent fixture of the tundra.
But maybe, just maaaybe, if his room here got a little touch of that Western wilderness feel, he'd be more likely to return and stay put! (Disregard how flimsy this logic is. I miss my roommate.)
I present to you, Nathan's Room: a Kaleidoscope of Awesomeness.
1. 4040 Locust Asher Ikat Duvet Cover, $99 2. Pharmacy Floor Lamp, $126 3. Magical Thinking Vintage Glaze Lamp, $89 4. 4040 Locust Angled Wood Headboard, $349 5. Rainier Creek print, $17
6. Steppe 6-Drawer Dresser, $1,599 7. Admiral Hanging Mirror, $18-$24 8. Light Gray Emilie Flatweave Sweater Wool Area Rug, $375 9. Bear Hug print, $18 10. The (Original) Bike Shelf, $299 11. Moving Mountains Throw, $100
12. Emerson Shelving, $400 13. Retro Art print, $33 14. Locust Bison Wood Storage Bin, $59 15. Woven Wire Trashcan, $29 16. Turkish Kilim pillow, $60 17. Greer Leather Recliner, $2,499
Disclaimer: I'm not insane. I realize that someone who just quit his job is not going to be shelling out this kind of money on anything. (I'm gainfully employed and wouldn't buy most of this stuff at its current cost.) This is just — say it with me, now — innnnnspiration.
That being said, with some patient Craigslisting, DIY elbow grease, and strategic sales-shopping, I'm confident I could pull off something fairly close to this. Fingers crossed I get the chance.