Dear Kings Court Room 146,
Despite all the loud construction noise, cramped bed space, and exposed pipes, you were my first–year dorm. What a special place.
With the beautiful creativity of my roommate and a little artificial lighting, you became a home.
My wall is a time capsule of my first–year experience. Every sticker collected and every photo of my friends taken was stuck to the wall with Scotch tape, one by one.
The photo of V was gifted by my dad—four years after my obsession with BTS ended—when he worried I was homesick. I hung up the photo booth strip of my friend Ethan and I after the first time we met, before I even knew he would become one of my closest friends at Penn. And I still remember when I taped the March issue of Street's magazine to my wall, smiling ear to ear as I celebrated my photo on the cover.
I'll miss all the Miffy motifs in my room from my roommate Emmi—and even her really scary collection of Sonny Angels, which our friends keep adding to every holiday.
Emmi's side of the wall has the most chaotic yet beautifully crafted collage, an iconic part of the room and a testament to her skills as a designer.
On the left, Emmi’s dinosaur, and on the right, my dinosaur. Every day as we left the room, the two kept each other company and the room protected.
And lastly, I'll miss my very large closet with a mirror that was almost half the size of our room.
Everyone starts with a blank canvas, but how we make it our own is up to us.
