An Ode to a Condo in Irving, TX
Finally getting back to my mini series which I like to call “to all the homes I’ve loved before.”
This time, we’re going down memory lane as I reminisce on a year spent living in a little 2 bedroom condo in Irving, Texas. For all the haters who tell you that an apartment you live in for one year can’t really be considered home, I’m here to prove them wrong.
A few couches, a cute rug, a sturdy dining room table, and some patio chairs were the building blocks of this place. One of the best parts about moving into the condos and living with 4 other girls was how easily everything came together. With Italian prints from our Rome semester and a bookshelf full of classic UD books, this condo quickly became a home. Although not everything was that simple – Charlotte’s bed was built missing a few screws and proceeded to fall apart almost every night for the entire first semester.
Nevertheless, this condo was well-loved by many from the first week we moved in. Although it’s not in any way the hodgepodge of decorations that made this place so special but the countless memories made inside these walls: the roommate dinners, the pregames, the late night back patio chats, the potluck brunches, the spontaneous dance parties. So many conversations were had, so much was learned, and so much laughter was shared in 1802 B E. Northgate Dr.
When I looked back through my camera roll for this post, I noticed how many photos I had of the table, and how many different memories were made around it (and dancing on top of it). This table was rarely bare, usually covered in books and laptops and papers. Most nights, there were bowls of food on top of it and dear friends around it. One of my favorite things about senior year was how my roommates and I cooked for each other. We each picked a week night and would make dinner for the other 3. When it wasn’t your night, you could be studying on campus and walk home (across the street) as soon as you get a text saying “dinner ready in 10”. Pretty often we invited one or two “guests” to our roomie dinners. Sometimes we interrogated them to hear the latest drama, usually we just told stories and laughed.
It made me laugh how many different types of food and drink were on this table — vases of bluebonnets and cake from our easter vigil party, so many Mardi Gras beads and king cake for our spontaneous Mardi Gras party, wine and charcuterie for a girls night, a potluck birthday brunch, jello shots for groundhog, etc. I sometimes only take pictures of pretty moments so not pictured are the many nights playing quarters or kings cup around this table and the parties when we danced on top of this table.
Somehow we started a tradition senior year of dancing around the table while someone flashed the lights on and off repeatedly. I have a specific memory of planning to go to bed one night only to end up dancing around the table at 2 am while screaming “you’re so vain.” Good times.
We also somehow got to rent the condo with the biggest back patio and we took full advantage by dining al fresco and inviting everyone we knew over for parties. At some point the backyard grassy area turned into dirt, I’m guessing having basically the whole school out there for groundhog in the mud might have caused that. I also can’t forget to mention the sunset views we had?!
There’s something so homey about an apartment with stairs. Especially when there were constantly friends and neighbors walking in the front door, having a cozy bedroom upstairs where you could always escape to was the best. I shared a room with two of my roommates and one of our favorite things was what we called “watching movies,” which was just looking out the window to spy on whatever late night convos or encounters were occurring in the parking lot. Somehow the three of us shared a closet and kept a room and bathroom tidy enough. Yes, we had to take turns taking showers but we got to steal each other’s clothes and get ready for nights out together. The best memories.
I’ve often thought about how this condo is a testament to UD — to the community of real, genuine, truth-seeking, friendship it cultivates. It’s not every college apartment that is constantly full of deep, funny, and genuine conversations and even better people. One of the (many) things I love about the best friends I lived with was how welcoming and friendly they were. If one of us invited a friend or sibling over, that person was everyone’s friend and it was always a good time.
While I definitely could have spent more hours studying, nothing can replace the meals, the dancing, the conversations, the laughter, and the memories made in this condo. Thank you 1802B!