Like most kids do, I grew up imagining what my career would be, where I would live, and who I’d be married to. I pictured my future house, much like the one I grew up in, and that truly was the extent of my daydreams. Growing up, you never think about the fact that you’ll have to buy furniture one day. Before moving out, I had no concept of money or even a rough estimate of what furnishing my first place would cost.
When it came time to move out on my own, I was lucky that my off-campus apartment had the option of coming furnished for an additional $30 a month. While I struggled with the idea of it being a waste of money, I figured I’d be wasting money either way by buying cheap furniture that I’d throw out after college. I didn’t mind that my biggest concern was over what shower curtain and bedspread I’d pick. Not to mention, it made moving in a whole lot easier.
Two years later upon moving out of that apartment, reality hit when I had to entirely furnish my new college apartment with very little money. Aside from having a few pieces of hand-me-down furniture, I virtually had nothing. Outside of the occasional item from Ikea, my roommates and I had to be resourceful and turn to online classifieds for pre-loved furniture. We decided to split the cost of our furniture three ways and buy each other out at the end of our lease, despite that being an arguably bad idea.
Out of all our bargain furniture finds, the sectional couch was our most favorite. We were adamant about finding something that was in good shape, a decent size, and would fit into our tight budget. We hit the jackpot when we found one for sale on Craigslist that fit the bill. It comfortably sat around eight people, was gently used, and only put us out $100. I came across survey results that revealed 50% of people spend 7 or more hours a week on their couch. I can certainly vouch for that as I spent countless nights sprawled out on the couch with my roommates watching viral YouTube videos, Big Brother marathons, and creepy EarthCam videos. Many laughs and conversations were shared on that couch as it was the perfect place to relax and entertain. Upon our lease ending, all three of us wanted the couch, which proves splitting furniture isn’t always the best idea. Ultimately it came down to who asked for it first and needed it most, and that person wasn’t me.
Now, I should have prefaced this beforehand and said that I’m a very sentimental person. Places, people, and things can pull at my heartstrings more than I’d like to admit. As odd as it may sound, the countless weekends spent on that brown sectional always remain one of my fond memories.
Just as my years at college came and went, so did my couch. I guess you could say I was sad to see it go.
