...Sanctuary

Today I read the first five chapters of Xavier De Maistre's "A Journey Round my Room." This manuscript was written during his 42 day arrest at Turin, and sent to his brother for his amusement. Clearly, he made the most of this personal isolation by finding entertainment in his immediate surroundings and turning that into an expression of creativity to pass the time. He analyzed the subtle nuances of his room and his behavior, such as placement, interaction, visual aspects, and movement.

"My room is situated at latitude 48º east, according to the measurement of Father Beccaria. It lies east and west, and, if you keep very close to the wall, forms a parallelogram of thirty-six steps round. My journey will, however, be longer than this; for I shall traverse my room up and down across, without rule or plan. I shall even zig-zag about, following, if needs be, every possible geometrical line." (De Maistre; Chapter IV. Latitude and Topography)

In the spirit of De Maistre and his 42 day journey around his room, the following is my own mini journey around my room and my best attempt at his writing style...

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My room is situated at the top of the staircase, with a direct view out of the front glass door to the benign, lackluster suburb in which my parents house resides. Though the wooden door to my room often blocks this view, it is comforting to know it exists. Once inside, and a 90º turn to your right, you are confronted with a large scale map of the world where one can immerse themselves in the knowledge of new places. I often wake up in the morning and gaze upon it, dreaming of traveling to these distant lands once home confinement has ceased.

However, I always seem to find myself drawn to my vanity—situated diagonally from the door and sandwiched between the window and my bed, it is by far my favorite spot in my room to spend time. The creative opportunities presented by the diverse selection of makeup and hair tools are inspiring. It gives me an opportunity to explore the dynamics of color, technique, and sometimes physics, in a way that is distinct from any other creative medium one may pursue. However, the lighting situation is abysmal in this respective corner of the room. The window is situated slightly behind the vanity's chair, therefore the natural light does not hit my face, and the ceiling light is dull and ineffective. Therefore one must be careful and confident when creativity strikes.

The biggest, and most prominent characteristic of the room is the queen bed with the elaborate (though old and worn out) comforter. With its blues, pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows, it works well with the pale walls and brings some much needed color into the room. The headboard holds my most prized possessions: my books. They are my escape into infinite worlds and realities so distinct from our own, and they expand my mind and perspectives on such a wide array of topics. The capability to have them at such close proximity to me is comforting, and is severely missed when I am not at home and don't have access to my own personal sanctuary that is my room.