{"id":291,"date":"2025-01-04T19:31:48","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T19:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/?p=291"},"modified":"2025-01-04T19:31:48","modified_gmt":"2025-01-04T19:31:48","slug":"new-year-new-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/2025\/01\/04\/new-year-new-room\/","title":{"rendered":"NEW YEAR NEW ROOM!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Hello Hawkeyes!!!!<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s something uniquely exciting about starting a new chapter in life. Whether it\u2019s a new city, a new school, or simply a new space, the idea of making it your own brings a sense of possibility and adventure. That\u2019s exactly how I felt on the day I moved into my new dorm room at the University of Iowa. I had to move back early to work at Burge Front Desk.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve always been someone who likes to be prepared, so I started the day early. My dad and I had spent the previous evening sorting through my things, making sure everything was ready to go for the move. As the sun rose, I was already up, double-checking lists and packing the last few items into the car. There\u2019s something oddly satisfying about fitting everything into the car just right\u2014like a game of Tetris, but with clothes, books, and all the random stuff that comes with moving into a dorm.<\/p>\n<p>Once everything was packed and the car was loaded, we were ready to hit the road. I said a quick goodbye to my mom, sister and our 4 animals, knowing I wouldn\u2019t be back for a while, and we set off for Iowa City. The drive itself was smooth\u2014just an hour and a half of catching up with my dad, listening to music, and chatting about how things would go at school. It was a nice bonding time before the hustle and bustle of the move.<\/p>\n<p>As we pulled into Iowa City, the excitement really started to hit. This was it\u2014the place where I\u2019d be spending the next chapter of my college life. I am in a single in Burge. We found parking close to my dorm building and started unloading the car. As we carried my bags and boxes up to my room, something magical happened: it started to snow. Big, fluffy flakes started drifting down from the sky, adding a winter wonderland feel to the whole experience. It was as if the universe was giving me a little extra magic for this new beginning.<\/p>\n<p>After we had finished unloading most of my stuff, my dad suggested we take a break and get some breakfast. We drove over to <em>Bluebird Diner<\/em>, a cozy, local spot known for its delicious comfort food. The warm, inviting atmosphere was perfect for a chilly, snowy morning. I ordered the &#8220;Thee Pick Three&#8221; with tomato, avocados, and Pepper jack cheese, an English muffin, and hash browns with a Hot Mocha latte. The food was delicious, and it gave us the perfect chance to relax and chat about my plans for the semester. It was a great way to refuel before diving back into the move.<\/p>\n<p>Next, we headed to <em>Trader Joe\u2019s<\/em> to stock up on food for my dorm. I had already made a mental list of snacks and essentials I\u2019d need, but walking through the aisles, I realized there were so many more things I could use to make my room feel more like home. From granola bars to frozen meals, and of course, a few indulgent treats, we filled up the cart with everything I\u2019d need to get settled in. Plus we got a plant for my room to make it feel more like home. I love the energy of a good grocery trip\u2014there\u2019s something so satisfying about picking out food that will fuel you for the week ahead. It felt like another small step toward making my new dorm room a place where I could really settle in and feel comfortable. Plus with two weeks without the dinning halls being open I would need some food.<\/p>\n<p>One of the things I was most excited about when moving to Iowa City was the chance to explore the local bookstores. Iowa City is known for its literary culture, and I couldn\u2019t wait to dive into some good books. My dad and I made our way to <em>Barnes &amp; Noble<\/em> and <em>Prairie Lights<\/em>, two iconic bookstores in the city. \u00a0At <em>Barnes &amp; Noble<\/em>, I picked up a couple of romance novels I\u2019d been meaning to read. There\u2019s something about browsing through the aisles of a bookstore that\u2019s both calming and inspiring. We then headed over to <em>Prairie Lights<\/em>, a local independent bookstore that has a cozy, intimate feel. I got something from their little bakery There\u2019s just something about having books in your space that makes it feel more \u201cyours.\u201d I was excited to add to my collection and have some new reading material for the semester ahead.<\/p>\n<p>By the time we got back to the dorm, it was time to tackle the final step\u2014organizing and settling into my new space. After I said goodbye to my Father, I started by putting away the groceries, arranging my books on the shelves, and unpacking clothes into the drawers. The snow was still falling outside, and I had the windows open to let in the crisp winter air as I worked.<\/p>\n<p>I took my time organizing the room, making sure everything had its place. I hung up photos on the wall, set up my desk for studying, and added a few cozy touches to make the room feel welcoming. With every item I unpacked, it felt more like home.<\/p>\n<p>It was a long day, but by the time I was done, I felt accomplished and ready for the semester ahead. With the snow outside, the food, and the books, I couldn\u2019t have asked for a better start to my new dorm room. It was the kind of day that makes you feel like you\u2019re exactly where you\u2019re supposed to be.<\/p>\n<p>As I settled into bed that night, I reflected on how everything had come together so perfectly. I had a space that felt like my own, food for the next few weeks, new books to dive into, and the memories of a really special day. Moving in can be stressful, but I realized that when you\u2019re surrounded by people who care about you, it can also be a joyful experience filled with anticipation for what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s to new beginnings, cozy rooms, and the adventures that await!<\/p>\n<p>Cheers,<br \/>\nRose<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello Hawkeyes!!!! There\u2019s something uniquely exciting about starting a new chapter in life. Whether it\u2019s a new city, a new school, or simply a new space, the idea of making it your own brings a sense of possibility and adventure. That\u2019s exactly how I felt on the day I moved into my new dorm room at the University of Iowa. I had to move back early to work at Burge Front Desk. I\u2019ve always been &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":150,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/150"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=291"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":300,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291\/revisions\/300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/rose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}