Home Is Where the Stripes Are

I live in what most Americans would probably describe as a box. A studio apartment. One room with a separate kitchen, vanity and bathroom. I pay an exorbitant amount for rent (compared to most people's standards), and I lack a lot of the modern day amenities most of my peers wouldn't even consider living without. It is, to me, the quintessential single girl in the city lifestyle and when you get right down to it, it's pretty amazing.* (Need more convincing? Check bottom of post). 

But being single in the city has it's challenges and one of them is the fact that I am rarely actually in my apartment. Sure I sleep there, and shower there and my clothes are there but most of the time... I'm not. To remedy this situation my best friend finally convinced me it was time to paint the accent wall I had been talking about since I moved in. I agreed. So this weekend, I finally buckled down and painted. Above is the final outcome and I am thrilled about it. The funny thing about the wall is that it changed the entire look of my apartment. It made it seem bigger. It broke it up. It added a bit of glam to the place and most importantly, it made it so that my apartment finally feels like home to me. 

*Let's think about this....I can skip the commuting. My walk to work consists of 5 blocks, and in 2 inch heels takes about 15 minutes (including a trip to Starbucks). In 3 inch heels...maybe 20. I have coffee shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, and shopping all within walking distance of my place. I rarely have to spend money on gas, and I live right by the polo grounds, so if I want to walk by the reflecting pond, or see the WWII memorial, or do a run downtown, I can. I am between 3 of the most trendy and uptown neighborhoods in DC. Dupont Circle, Georgetown, and Chinatown and I live within 2 blocks of the blue line and 4 or 5 blocks of the red line. Obama and I share a zip code, and I can walk down to the White House anytime I want.  I have hardwood floors, decently tall ceilings, and 3 walk-in closets. I have a Queen sized bed, a 40 inch TV, a cafe table, a dresser and a console table and still my apartment feels large. I never have to worry about the metro closing, and I never need a designated driver. I am also within walking distance of all of my doctors. I have a 24 Hour CVS at the end of my block, and a police station and fire house 2 blocks away.