I used to read a lot of Enid Blyton books, and one of my favorite was about The Faraway Tree, a magical tree in the middle of the Enchanted Woods. There are fairies and pixies and talking squirrels living in all corners of the tree, and the way to get down the tree is through an inner slide in the middle of the tree trunk. The tree is huge—it grows up and up to a magical rotating land above, where you can have the most fantastic adventures.

Now, my lemon tree isn’t as cool as that, and I technically don’t live under the tree, but I think my new home is perfect in every way.
I don’t actually live in the main house, but in a little shed across the backyard. See the little house above? That’s half of my place. There are two rooms in there, and mine is on the right, towards the lemon tree. The other belongs to a 35-year-old graduate student called Cesar.

There is no bathroom or kitchen in the shed, so I have to travel across the yard to the main house. My room is small, and occasionally gets infested by ants. But it’s mine. All mine. I love it.
Let’s enter, shall we?
It’s a bare room with minimal, creaky furniture, but I’ve since added my own fragrance and style to it. I’ve decorated the wall with lots and lots of pictures:
Each picture tells a story, a memory, a life. Most of it are pictures I’ve taken over the summer, to remind me of all the precious people I’ve met…
…the inspiring lessons I’ve learned…
…and the unforgettable fun moments I’ve experienced.
It is a fuss-less, cheap decoration: Just take a piece of rustic string, print out a bunch of pictures, and hang them with a wooden clip. I bought my ladybug ones in a Dollar (or 1000 Won) Store in Korea. Simple and easy, but a string of meanings hanging there!
I have a small desk, but it has everything in reach. The chair is a tad bit uncomfortable, but it prevents me from falling asleep while catching up on some reading. If even that fails, I have my own little snack stash below my desk:
Yup, I am so prepared.

Another item I brought from Korea that I love:
My pink bunny coffee cup. The moment I saw this, I knew I had to lug it back home. Can you tell it’s already stained with coffee? Sleep Prevention Numero Tres. I of course had to have my own coffee-brewing station:
I’ve got about three bags of coffee, a stash of assorted tea, random packets of mayonnaise, and my trusty “I <3 USC” mug.

I don’t exactly have enough tables, so I used one of the big boxes from Costco as a makeshift dressing table for my lotions and three big containers of extra snacks. Inside the box hides several Costco-sized bags of oats because I had nowhere else to store them.I have no closet, but who needs a full closet when you don’t have much clothes anyway? All I need is a dresser and a decent hanger to hang my clothes and jewelry:
I have a small shoe shelf, which I actually didn’t need since I only have own 5 pairs of shoes. Never got why women get so obsessed over shoes?
I have a nice bed all to myself too.
Okay, I share it with my Pooh bear and Mr. Pig, but they generally get pushed to the floor during the night.

Now, in the center of the room stands my new mini Haier 4.6 Cu. Ft. refrigerator which I bought through the CSN stores.
CSN offered $80 for me to use in any of their stores, and I knew I desperately needed a small fridge of my own because there is no way I can share a small fridge with 4 other house members. I paid the remaining fee with my own money, but it was well worth it.
Of course, I put my personal stamp on it right away. This is my favorite picture of my dad:
I think it showcases the humor and fun personality my dad has, instead of the austere pastor that some people may mistake him to be.

Wanna take a peek inside?
So far I’m very satisfied with this fridge. It’s compact, but there is a lot of space inside. The nice thing about this fridge is that it’s pretty quiet, too. I once had a fridge that hummed and groaned 24/7 and drove me crazy. Hopefully this will stay silent.
Obviously, that’s not all the food I have. The other stuff are all in the bigger fridge at the main house, but these are just items which I want to have right on hand. I also have a small bread bin right beside my fridge:
I really love my room. It’s just got everything I need, and I love having my own little space. I’m also really loving my housemates. They are all guys which can be a bit awkward for me, but they are pretty cool, smart, talented people. I really thank God for giving me such a great place. Remember when I was fretting over my housing situation last semester? I’m still amazed at how God settled it all. For now my room is only filled with past memories, but pretty soon it’ll contain its own memories as well.
That’s all for today. I’ve been surviving on 4 hours of sleep each night and I’m looking forward to catching up on some zzzs this weekend. Happy weekend, everybody!

Question of the Day: What is your room like? What is your idea of a perfect room/home?