Returning to dorm life – at Durham University

As you can probably imagine, it has been many, many years since I took part in dorm life.

In graduate school, I lived in an apartment, but even during my undergraduate years, I only lived in the dorms my freshman year. By second year, I had moved into my sorority, and the final two years I lived in a shared apartment, so dorm life experience truly does set me back quite a long time ago.

Durham University dorms, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

That’s why it was fun to capture the long-forgotten experience (at least for a weekend) when I went to this year’s Historical Novel Society conference.

Since it was held in Durham, UK at the beginning of September, before the academic year had begun, we were housed in Durham University’s dormitories.

I enjoyed my little dorm, just beyond the chapel, with an old, creaky wooden staircase leading up to (surprisingly) spacious rooms with their own bathrooms (we most certainly didn’t have those across the pond, where I shared a similar size room with another two girls), and views out to forests from the back.

Durham University dorms, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

The sound of silence was spectacular. Then again, with students hitting campus mere weeks after we were there, that probably didn’t last for very long.

It was great to sit in absolute quiet at my large desk to get some writing done. Even better to wake up in the morning only to journey a few steps away to the cafeteria to enjoy a breakfast I didn’t have to cook for myself.

Durham University dorms, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

I do think college students don’t realize how good they have it, before real life encroaches in on them. And yes, I was in this category, too, all those years ago…

So it was fun to enjoy a return to the dorms, albeit for a weekend.

Durham University dorms, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

Durham University dorms, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

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