Growing up as an only child, I had plenty of personal space. I didn't have to share with anyone, and I got comfortable alone in my room. I didn't need other people around to entertain me, and, occasionally, I actually needed that solitude. As I got older, I became more introverted, but not in a bad way. Sometimes I just needed that alone time to not worry about who I had to talk to or what I should do; I could just be alone with no judgement. I think that's what a lot of people don't understand about introverts. We don't hate people, and we don't even necessarily want to be alone. We just need time to let our guard down completely and not have to worry about what other people think of us. Sometimes, I can get that sense of comfort from being around close friends who understand weird habits or my strange sense of humor, and other times I get it from simply being alone. However, this made the transition to college extremely difficult for me. I went from having a great support system and my own space to having neither.
When I started college I moved from Houston, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia to go to the best engineering school I could find. My friends and I found ourselves scattered across the country, ending up everywhere from Colorado to New York. And, while we're all still close, it's very different from seeing each other everyday. I loved the atmosphere of Georgia Tech when I visited. It was big enough that you could constantly meet new people but not so large that it felt impersonal. I was excited to leave behind the small all-girls school I had attended for seven years, and my new-found freedom felt liberating. I ended up living in a quad in Harrison residence hall on east campus. For those of you who are unfamiliar with quads, there were four of us living in one room and sharing a bathroom with the entire floor. Privacy became elusive for me. I was constantly surrounded by people, and I felt lonely for the first time in my life. My roommates were great, but we had very little in common. I never had any time alone. I struggled through my first year at Tech, which happened to include 8 a.m. classes, a bout of mono, a total of four trips home, and the plight of a vegetarian on a dining plan. I needed my space back, and I got it when I moved off campus for my second year.
In my new apartment, which included my very own bathroom and bedroom, I wanted a sense of home. I knew this would be my sanctuary, my retreat when everything else felt overwhelming. It was really important to me to create a space that I could relax in when Tech felt overwhelming, and, while I connected with my roommates much more this year, I still needed that solitude. I decorated my room in calm blues and browns and strung fairy lights around my bed, which is covered in fluffy white blankets. The soft light from candles and lamps keeps it from being too bright, and maintaining a clean room gives my life a sense of order, even in the midst of a hell week. My orchids give me a sense of accomplishment for keeping something alive, and the pictures of my friends and family from home remind me that I am not alone, even when no one else is around. This is my space and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
