Moving back to Sudbury means that I again have to deal with life in my high school bedroom.

Unlike many people I know, my bedroom has (un)fortunately remained the same throughout my four years of university. What can I say? My house already has a guest room.

That means I was faced with pink, yellow and lime green walls. And a Happy Bunny poster and one of those “Have a Day” posters that every teeny-bopper in North America had. And a pink plastic IKEA chair that makes me feel as though I’m in the 1980’s. It was where I perched myself whilst taking self portraits in grade 11. Yes, those self portraits may have involved my band jacket. Just stop snickering, okay?

This obviously would not do. It would not do at all.

Since re-painting would involve far too much effort, I opted for two of its interior design siblings: re-arranging and re-decorating.

Much to the dismay of my 18-year-old brother, the re-arranging part started the Saturday evening that I got home – a half hour of him shifting my double bed upon my whim, and rolling his eyes as I tried, with no prevail, to help.

The end result is a bedroom that may be the same colour as before, but has been enhanced by all the things that have made me, me over the past few years. Buttons in mason jars. Art deco postcards. Gold swan bookends bought at the New Edinburgh garage sale. A working typewriter. The Amélie poster that I got in Montmartre and carried across Europe in a backpack. An ornate frame that I found in my Ottawa basement and re-painted last summer. Etcetera, etcetera.

It’s much more me. And that may just make living at home tolerable for the next few months. Fingers crossed.