Living Beyond the Living Room

The living accommodations with which we have been provided by the University of Abertay are far better than I expected. We have two toilets, three shower stalls, four bathroom sinks, a large kitchen equipped with two refrigerators, one dishwasher, one fully functioning oven, one large kitchen sink, and a microwave. Furthermore, each of us is also fortunate to have our own bedrooms (which is great not only for privacy, but to avoid being kept awake with one another’s snores) equipped with a twin size bed, desk, wardrobe, overhead shelf, and a small dresser. 

University of Abertay's flat accommodations at Alloway Halls in Dundee. (Photo by author)

Needless to say, our housing situation came as a pleasant surprise for all of us, however, I couldn’t help but notice our lack of what is perhaps one of the most utilized rooms in anyone’s home - a living room. There were no couches gathered around a television, with a coffee table in the center for us to prop our feet upon after long days of studying, researching, and exploring Dundee. Though I imagine each of us could access our beloved Netflix from our personal laptops during our downtime, I found myself somewhat longing for the idea of Disney movie nights with my flatmates, curled up on couches with blankets and freshly baked pastries.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining, and nor did I ever resent our lack of living room. It’s just that I am most familiar with bonding with friends and family in the comfort of a living room, convinced that I was in fact living. After accepting our accommodations as they are, I became somewhat thrilled at the challenge of pursuing life outside of the living room. Our community entertainment will not come from a screen during our six weeks in Scotland, and we must learn to live beyond the living room.

Since our arrival, I have seen and done things that could never be accomplished without a break from my comfort zone. I broke away from my introverted tendencies and made friends with complete strangers. I chatted with them in pubs, live music venues, bus stops, trains, and even standing in line at the grocery store (side note: lines are referred to as 'queues' here). I've distanced myself from my somewhat lazy habits and hiked through rolling hills, skipped the bus to walk through town, and climbed numerous steep inclines and seemingly endless steps (particularly in Edinburgh!). Instead of turning to a television or computer screen for excitement, I've visited the ruins of a 16th century castle, attended a live music festival in the city, and played lots of euchre (pronounced YOU-ker... it's a 4-person card game that is very popular in Indiana) with my flatmates at the kitchen table.

The beautiful countryside of Pitlochry... My group got somewhat lost on the way to Edradour, which is Scotland's smallest distillery, located in Pitlochry. (Photo by author) 

Live music being performed at Buskers, which a church-turned-pub in Dundee. Bands played at pubs all throughout the city for the entire weekend for what was called the Almost Blue Festival. (Photo by author)

Though a living room is certainly a friendly, comfortable place to settle down at the end of a long day, there is nothing that a living room can offer that would even come close to the vitality and exuberance I have experienced since I was forced to live beyond the living room.