Preparing for a Visit from Mom

Well, in 24 hours my mom will be in Seoul!!!!!! I didn't realize I would be so desperate for a touch of home only 3 months into my year, but her visit couldn't have come at a better time. It is beginning to be holiday season and seeing my favorite mom is just what I need!



So, in preparation for her visit, I cleaned my apartment. I am not a very messy person, and even when I am, I pick up my things every day or every other day at the most. So I never thought of my apartment as "dirty" but when I buckled down with my gloves, sponge, and bottle of chemicals, I was shocked and disgusted at the state of my place. Particularly, the bathroom floor. That might sound obvious, but I guess I take for granted that it is "clean" since I rinse it off every day. My bathroom IS my shower, so it gets a good hit of water every day in the form of my shower. However, I realized this weekend, the floors are only at a slight angle toward the drain, and therefore a lot of water is left standing, especially in the grout between the tiles.

Once I really started looking, I could definitely see some soap scum. And once I actually started CLEANING, I REALLY started seeing soap scum! How disgusting!! I won't get into too much detail, in case you are eating or feeling ill already, but let's just say the cleaning was overdue. I got after my sink, countertops, toilet, floor, and attempted to do the walls as well. The whole shower/bathroom situation is actually very convenient for cleaning. I can just spray everything with my bottle of who knows what with a picture of a bathroom on it, scrub it, and spray it with the shower head to rinse the "ick" away.

I began this process Saturday morning, but had to stop midway to run some time-sensitive errands. I ended up staying out from about 1pm til 3am, so (needless to say) cleaning was put on the back burner for the rest of the day. Sunday I had another busy day, but finally around 7pm I had enough time to get back to business with the cleaning. I finished up the bathroom (YAY!) and made some headway on my clutter. There is not much clutter to be had here, but with the extremely limited space, what clutter I do have is very prone to stacking up.

I have a little dresser (actually storage drawers used as a dresser) next to my desk; inside is my makeup (1 drawer) and underthings (2 drawers). On top, I have my makeup brushes in a cup, my vanity mirror, my vitamins, a "mail box" aka basket I put mail in, and then of course just various little things. I managed to clean some of that stuff off, but I still feel like a mess. My little hutch/storage thing is also messy, currently housing my sock collection (refer to the previous post), my half-dozen books and my candles, plus a gnome and a humidifier. Well, when I put it that way, I sound like a hoarder! I'm not!!!!!

I found homes for some thing; others, I will just have to either live with or stuff somewhere. When mom comes, the linens for her bed (air mattress) are in the hutch, and we will get the Christmas tree out of the closet to put up on Saturday (I am hoping this can go on top of the hutch, and I can just shove the miscellaneous stuff on top into the hutch... we'll see!)

I began my laundry pile, so that wouldn't take up valuable floor space, and am currently finishing up my last load of whites. The very last chore before my mom arrives will be sweeping, which I have saved until last because it gets so dusty and dirty here so fast, sweeping even a few days in advance is fruitless.

But, she's officially on her way! I believe she is on her way to the airport as I type, maybe even there already. I have a huge knot of anticipation in my stomach. I am simultaneously excited beyond belief, nervous that she will be okay getting to my apartment, scared for the day she leaves, and hopeful that my efforts at making my first little "home" presentable will be appreciated. Of course they will be! I guess I just want to be proud.

This is my first real place that I have lived in all on my own. I lived in a dorm, but my parents helped me furnish and arrange that place, and the ZTA house definitely had some help from my parents. After college, I moved home for about 7 months, so here I am, 22 years old in my first real grown up apartment, about to show my mom that her years of "Chelsea, clean your room!" were not in vain.

Ultimately, I think I've done well with the circumstances I've been given. The apartment is not luxury by any stretch of the imagination, and it will be quite cramped for 2 people, but thank goodness I love my mom and her company will not be a pain in the butt, but rather a joy! I have already (as in, two weeks ago) worked out a tentative schedule of events for us. Nothing too crazy, but we will certainly have a good time. We always have a good time together :)

And, of course, she is bringing two suitcases full of clothes and shoes from AMERICA!! It just doesn't get much better than this... :)