Sweet Home Alabama

I have now been back at Nature's Classroom for almost a week, have moved into my new cabin, and have even started working a few days early (a huge blessing to a dwindling bank account!). The first few days were spent moving in and getting settled - as well as catching up with Brigette, who has been here the entire winter solo. I moved into a new cabin this season, away from the comforts of the staff house. The past two seasons, I have lived in a house with four other women. We all had our own rooms - albeit somewhat small, but liveable - and the central area has the computer, tv/dvd player, laundry, and kitchen area. The house also has central heating and air, and is in a great location on campus. However, in my fit of needed a place to "nest" and to feel like is my own, I took the option of living in a much more rustic cabin called Deerhaven. I am going to be sharing it with my friend Leigh, who moves in on Sunday. Deerhaven is two floors, with two main rooms and two bathrooms on the first floor, and one more room upstairs. I took the upstairs room, and am absolutely loving it. Granted, I had to remove the oddly-painted neon yellow cots that were up there (although I kept one as a sort of low table, covering it with some green fabric that I'm also using for makeshift curtains) and move a "real" bed up the stairs, but with the help of Brigette and D, I was able to make it feel a lot more "homey." The only thing I have left to do is put some posters up, and then it's all done. I love it immensely - I have quite a lot more room and "open" space, I have nice big windows (although the largest point directly east, so it's impossible to sleep through the sunrise which is fine since I like to wake up to the light), and it's a nice private space all to myself. There are even some added perks... such as the squirrels living in the ceiling above me that scamper about through the night. Okay, so the cabin is definitely more rustic - and chilly - but so far I am really glad I made the move. Although, to be completely honest, walking on the wood floor of my room echoes throughout the cabin, and my boxspring has a loud squeak to it, so it took me quite a few days of walking across the floor and sitting down on my bed to not think that the stomping and squeaking was someone walking on my porch and opening my door. There were countless times where I'd stop whatever I was doing and just send out a tentative "...hello??" Fortunately, there are several knotholes in the wood floor, so I can just peak down and spy on anyone entering the front room. (Brigette and I are trying to set up some sort of messenger system - bank drive-through style - using those holes, but so far it's just easier to shout up and down the stairs).

I am getting put to work today, so I have to cut this short, but more later. Now that the staff house has high-speed internet, the possibilities are unlimited... :-)