Here and Now: My Dorm Room

Sitting, working in my quiet dorm room. 606 Curtin Hall. The smell of vanilla incense and freshly brewed coffee awakens me while I study. My computer buzzing and roommate ruffling her paper contributes to the essentially silent sounds in my room. Girls walking past the dorm, buses stopping abruptly directly outside the window, and music coming from 607 distract me while I attempt to concentrate. The neutral colors and objects that decorate the small space calm me; the warm, brown comforters covering our beds and the beige carpet shielding our floor. Our room reminds me of my home: cozy and comforting. The illuminating desk light brings me back into focus on my assignment. After hours of note taking my arm is exhausted from writing and my once comfortable seat is now confining. I become distracted once again and my mind wanders; concerned over future assignments and my busy schedule tomorrow. I turn to my bulletin board and observe photos from high school. I reminisce about prom, Cubs games with friends, New Years Eve parties, and football games. Interrupted from my thought, a friend comes into the room anxiously searching to borrow an outfit for tonight. She rummages through my roommate’s and my closets. She chooses and outfit from my roommate, a sort of airy, lightweight chiffon blouse with a pair of rugged, dark jeans. As our friend exits, I turn to my desk and observe a pile of letters I have saved, yet rarely notice, sitting aside my printer. The stack of letters is neither small nor distant, however I have never stopped to look at the saved letters nor do I see them out of the corner of my eye while I work. Simply taking the time to read through the letters makes me wonder what I miss on a daily basis. How many small moments or experiences do I and will I miss while I am stressing over future assignments or worrying about my hectic schedule? The attention seeking desk light and smell of freshly brewed coffee brings me back into focus as I once again commence my assignment.