A couple of years ago, I wrote a post on navigating 91直播鈥檚 dining halls. They have changed a bit in the time since, and this year is particularly different for me because I鈥檓 on a reduced meal plan and living in village housing. I worked with the Office of Disability and Access (ODA) to make this happen when the dining hall I relied on most was combined with another south-campus dining hall. My unique nutritional needs had always made eating on the meal plan somewhat difficult, and without that dining hall I knew it would be much harder to get the nutrition I needed. The wonderful folks at ODA made sure I had access to a kitchen and set up a reduced meal plan for me. Living in Village Housing and being functionally off of the meal plan have made for a very different, but equally positive, college experience this year.
I鈥檓 living in Firelands now, which is the college-owned apartment building behind Slow Train and Kim鈥檚. Overall, it might be my favorite place I鈥檝e lived in college. The apartment is far more spacious than I was expecting, and I鈥檝e had a lot of fun filling it with decor and hosting events. It鈥檚 especially good for Mabel, who now has more room than ever to frolic and play. Firelands also feels much more private than my past dorms. For my first time in 91直播 housing, I don鈥檛 have to hear every single thing my neighbor is up to, and I鈥檓 glad of it.
Firelands鈥 major downside is its location鈥攊t鈥檚 not near any other dorms or class buildings, and you have to allot at least fifteen minutes of walking time to get most places on campus. I think I鈥檝e used my bike more this year than my first three years combined. Still, I would argue that the distance is more than made up for by the convenience of having your own kitchen and bathroom. It鈥檚 exponentially better than the communal situation in the dorms. We all know I adore Baldwin Cottage, but that kitchen was a mess.
My current kitchen, however, is lovely. There鈥檚 definitely been a learning curve in figuring out how to work with the limited space and getting used to meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking for myself. I was very overwhelmed at first by how much time and energy it took to get my meals together for the week and cook each day. It took a few weeks before I really settled into my routine, which starts with meal planning and grocery shopping each Sunday after work. At the start of the semester, I would make a detailed meal plan with each day鈥檚 lunch and dinner; but eventually I figured out my basic grocery list and favorite rotating meals.
For dinners, one of my go-to鈥檚 is oven-roasted vegetables, some form of protein, and cous cous or rice. I鈥檒l rotate between brussel sprouts, snap peas, carrots and potatoes, and zucchini. For lunch I often do paninis, salads, or air-fryer meals. Aldi has a lot of quick and easy options which I鈥檝e come to rely on, especially during the busier weeks. Now that I鈥檝e gotten the hang of it, I love dining on my own. It gives me freedom and control over my nutrition, and it鈥檚 also been invaluable preparation for life after college. Beyond that, it鈥檚 had a deeply positive impact on my relationship with food. Until I started cooking for myself, I never truly understood the extent to which it can be a meaningful act of self-care. As I mentioned, it鈥檚 a very different college experience, but one I鈥檓 very grateful for. I wouldn鈥檛 recommend it to everyone, but it鈥檚 absolutely been the right choice for me.
