Lifestyle, London

Teenage Bedrooms

March 16, 2015
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Do you remember what your room looked like when you were a teenager? Mine was covered in posters, mostly heavy metal bands and other alternative crap. I had a lot of books and always had a bit of a thing for collecting knickknacks. As I was going through the Teenage Bedrooms On Screen Tumblr, it got me thinking how my life seems to have devolved. After leaving the ‘rents in my early 20’s to live with my then boyfriend (we had been together for many years, almost 8 in total) and then moving on eventually to my own apartment, my current situation feels like a devolution.

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Going back to my parents after we broke up was never really an option – my parents didn’t turn my room into a gym but it became my Mum’s home office. Living with my friends at the time was fine, until they fell out with each other and I was stuck in the middle. Also the episode when I heard a knock on my bedroom door to find a young man in his underpants, begging me to come and help as my housemate was behaving in a very strange way was quite memorable. She disappeared for a while after this and avoided seeing me, probably too embarrassed, until she decided to move out.

When I finally managed to get my own apartment it was amazing. I got my cats back from my ex-partner, had my own space, could come home at any time I wanted and didn’t have to give justifications to anyone. I could collect my shoes and clothes in peace and had enough room to have my friends come around and hang out. Buying my own property then became the next logical step, as at this time mortgages worked out cheaper than rentals in Lisbon. If I knew then what I know now I probably would have just stayed put, to be honest, as having become an immigrant meant leaving my apartment behind and with the economical crisis, not sure what to do with it at the moment.

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I moved to England and as salaries weren’t particularly high where I was working, I had to move into someone’s house and that has continued until the present day, even though I’ve moved to London. Having to share an apartment when you’re almost 40 years of age isn’t a great feeling. All of a sudden you have to live with other people, be judged constantly for your personal habits, stop eating breakfast in your underpants and tolerate meddlesome landlords with no concept of other people’s privacy in the name of peace and harmony. The stories I’ve heard from friends range from the ridiculously annoying to the unbelievably insane. Now that I live in London the feeling is even worse. If only, it feels somewhat humiliating because you just have to, it’s not really a choice you make. Talk about feeling poor and hopeless…

I look around me and with only a few exceptions, this seems to be the norm among my friends and it can a bit disturbing. I have my own apartment back in Lisbon, if only I could bring it here! Of course, there are good things about living in London: all the culture you can enjoy for free, the amazing friends I have made throughout the years and the interesting people I meet on a regular basis, all the professional and blogging opportunities. So for now, I’ll carry on living in my teenage room, minus the posters.

Stills from The Lovely Bones

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5 Comments

  • Reply Jasiminne Yip March 16, 2015 at 12:57

    I always forget how difficult it is to find the perfect place to rent in London (location, size, privacy, price – pick three) let alone buy because I’m one of the luckier ones who’ve had an easier start in life (and I’m not even one of the more privileged among my circle of friends!). London is quite a dire place to live in unless you’re very wealthy. But you own property in Lisbon which gives you a better edge over many Londoners . Have you considered selling it, getting a mortgage for a two-bed in London, renting out the second room to help pay it off? x

    Jasiminne | Posh, Broke, & Bored

    • Reply Mrs. D March 16, 2015 at 15:40

      Hey doll! The problem with selling the apartment in Lisbon is that it’s not a good time to sell – the house market fell so much that I’d probably still be left with a shortfall if I tried to sell it now. Plus with the house prices in London I’m not sure if any money I got from it would actually make a difference as a down payment for a mortgage here. We will see what happens with it, maybe my sister will end up living there while she goes to uni!

  • Reply PinkCheetahVintage March 16, 2015 at 15:39

    At least you have a place in Lisbon!! You’re ahead of the game really. London seems like it would be outrageously pricey and hard to find a place.

    • Reply Mrs. D March 16, 2015 at 15:57

      Well, it’s kind of useless, I can’t sell it at the moment and I don’t plan on going back!

  • Reply Señora Allnut March 16, 2015 at 21:41

    well, it took us ages to have our little first (rented) apartment, and we needed to go working 1000kms away from any place we’re used to call home. And we were wildly happy!. And it took eight years to obtain a work near our family and friends, but now we’re here and don’t giving a shit of people opinions about the way we live in our cute (rented) apartment.
    The best advice I can offer is to enjoy your life as the better life you can have, do more of what makes you happy, and stay blogging!
    beijinhos

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