we’re all nerds here

there have been at least three separate people I’ve known whose bedrooms had this vibe: the incredible clashing between different shades of pink, the dark carpet, the messiness, the poor lighting filtering through that dark curtain—I know how it feels being in this room.

I painted my room this exact color in 2008/2009. martha’s organized, but she’s a student and it’s a cramped space—she arranges her shelves the best she can, but her stuff is just stuff and doesn’t perfectly match. when I’m at school I have to dry my laundry in the middle of my room exactly the same way!

yup, that’s what every break room I’ve ever had at work looks like, with the mismatched tupperware and posters and questionably-clean microwave.

sylvia’s house is obviously intended to be coordinated, but with a nonprofessional’s taste. you can see the little pumpkins in the background from halloween, there’s a printed tablecloth at the table, the counters are that realistic mix of cluttered and clean. 

even in a fancy office, we’ve got the ugly fluorescent lighting that’s not really doing anyone favors, the crooked potted plants, the sporadic beige and white walls, the random workplace posters above the printer and trash cans.

people sitting in weird places because there aren’t enough seats around the tv! the cat tower with kitty litter shoved in the corner! the overstuffed table! the slightly-crooked picture frames! this IS the vibe of being stuffed into a too-small room with company over.

This is a two-man job. What're you doing?

I tipped very well, was constantly introducing new customers to the store, and if I was there long enough to run through one pot of tea I would buy a second one, well aware of the social contract of being a loyal customer. No one ever expressed frustration with me and to be honest pretty much no one ever came up to me to ask what I was doing.

And that was okay, because I was there to drink yummy tea and be surrounded by plants and art and soft music and the gentle backdrop of other voices. It was a very productive, relaxing space to be in, and there's simply not an equivalent in my own home. If I could afford it, I would rent a studio space. Working at a cafe is like that, but also there's free wifi and a never-ending supply of vanilla rose chai.

Tai watches Stargate