Molly PavlovichWhen Mike and Dolly Leonzo began conversations with our Residential Living Welcome Center preparing for their soon-to-be Messiah Village move, they agreed—there was no way they’d move into a one-bedroom apartment. They were committed to waiting for a two-bedroom space to become available because they believed that one bedroom was just not enough space for them to live comfortably.
However, their house sold quickly, and they moved into their son’s house as a temporary landing spot until their desired apartment became available at Messiah Village.
“Several months later, we called the Welcome Center to check on our reservation status, and they told us it could be another six months or more until a two-bedroom opened up, but a one-bedroom was available now,” the Leonzos remember.
Despite their persistent desires for a two-bedroom space, they decided to tour the available apartment with an open mind, and unexpectedly left agreeing to move in for the interim. Wanting to make the lesser square footage work until they could get their hands on a two-bedroom, the Leonzos watched YouTube videos that taught them the art of functional furniture in small spaces and closely consulted the space’s blueprint when purchasing new furniture.
“I was worried when I saw how much furniture the measurements said we could fit, that the place would be crowded,” Dolly said. “But, that wasn’t the case at all. We didn’t need to downsize our queen-size bed. We could have a couch, end tables, a side chair, and a dining table in our main living space, and there was still plenty of space to move around comfortably.”
Over time, they grew not to just tolerate living in their one-bedroom apartment, but to love it.
The large patio windows shine in a generous amount of natural light, and the patio itself serves as an indoor/outdoor extension of their living room. While they’ve hosted gatherings in their modestly-sized apartment without a hitch, they have also leveraged the entire campus as their living space—dining with friends at our on-campus restaurants, hosting card clubs in common spaces, and lounging with computer work or a good book in whatever comfy chair they can find.
Several months after settling in when a two-bedroom became available, the Leonzos shocked themselves by turning it down.
“We have everything we need right here,” they said.
