If you've been away to college or have had a sibling make the same educational retreat, you must be aware of the inconvenient or even down right annoying consequences of taking such a precious hiatus from the family headquarters. Of all the possible outcomes, there is only ONE which can strip one's soul and question the true importance his or her existence once "College Town" fades from view. That's right friends, you've probably guessed it.

Your room is no longer yours.

All traces that once led to signify your prescence had been erased gleefully as your parents planned out their study room or workout room, or my personal favorite, the celebatory 'we-just-want-to-decorate-your-room-because-you're-gone-we-pay-the-bills-and-we-just-can-use-room' while you were living it up university style with your college buddies.

I am a victim to this parental disease that has plagued millions of families nation-wide, heck, probably globally too. So now, as I still lick my wounds (figuratively) I have nothing else to do but think about the glorious day when I will have a room of my own.

The silver lining in this cloud is the fact that while I wait, I can plan out I want my room to look like. About a week ago, I started to think about what I wanted in this room. Taking out my notebook I wrote on the top of a sheet "Ideas for My World". I realized instantly that I meant to write "Room" instead of "World", but then I came to the conclusion that they were pretty much the same in this case. Like the wonderful world we live in, I knew I could make it a beautiful place or natural disaster.

Because I wanted the room to reflect my personality, I decided that I wanted to incorporate artsy, nerdy, eccentric themes to my room. My goals for decorating is to somehow tell others of my interests in fashion, music, theater and writing, without appearing too cluttered. I thought of a few funky (and silly) ideas for decoration, like having a jar full of buttons in vibrant colors, paper laterns, international fashion mags, art posters, and a veil for my lofted bed. Ultimately I hope that my room can be a haven of comfort, creativity, retreat, and good ol' intellectual stimulation.

Just thinking about my room gets me excited! My freshman year, I really didn't bother decorating my room for some reason. I wish I had! It would've made living there a cooler experience. And because I'm going to be a Residential Advisor, I will have to stay in my room a bit more--so I might as well enjoy it!