in the lap of luxury

It's amazing how drastically my definition of "luxury" has changed in five months.

Alyssa, Mariela, and I had the privilege of apartment sitting for a woman in our small group this weekend. I was eager to get away, as the furniture in my apartment was scheduled to be treated for mold.

All weekend I was thrilled by things I'd never think twice about back home, such as:

1. A comfy, fabric-upholstered couch with throw pillows.
2. Having multiple rooms in an apartment to walk in and out of.
3. Watching a movie on a TV screen.
4. The option of a shower or a bath.
5. Closets with sliding mirrored-glass doors and lighting that comes on automatically when you open the door.
6. Mold-free storage space in general.
7. Air conditioning all the time.
8. Falling asleep snuggled up under a soft comforter.
9. Being able to prepare food and store it safely out of reach of ants.
10. Bath mats.
11. Bookshelves and an entertainment center.
12. A bathroom sink with a hot water option.
13. A shower enclosed in its own little glass walls, as opposed to a shower head on the wall of a tiled room with nothing to separate it from the toilet and sink area.
14. Pots, pans, cutlery, dishes, a fridge, and drinking from glasses rather than water bottles.

We kept calling the place our penthouse, when it was really a very ordinary apartment by Western standards.

Pasta with fresh vegetables was a delight. So were the scrambled eggs and toast, fruit, muesli, and yogurt for breakfast. And sangria. Yum!

All in all, an excellent weekend.