No, not those Village People. The Village is the name of the apartment home community where I’m living in Dallas, and I’m its newest resident (the actual term they use to refer to us is “Villagers”). This is one of the housing locations the MMIAM program recommended to us, since it’s only a ten-minute drive to the SMU campus.
The Village itself is a sprawling, approximately 400-acre campus with more than 7,000 apartments in at least 17 different complexes. You could think of it as a “community of communities” but a more accurate description would be a “city within a city” because, in addition to its residences, the Village comprises its own Main street/downtown district with a hotel, country club, fitness center, game room, restaurants, shopping, salon, dog park, walking trails, even an indoor, virtual 18-hole golf course!
My apartment is small and simple, on the second floor of a duplex in one of the older neighborhoods on the campus (The Village has been around since the 1960’s), but the community amenities are free to all residents and I’m able to access them quickly by zipping around on my electric kickscooter. I’ve already started becoming a regular at the gym and pool area in the country club.
The demographics of the residents skews younger: mostly twenty- and thirty-somethings. But there seems to be quite a bit of racial diversity among staff and residents, which has been really cool. I know there is at least one other MMIAM student living in The Village, too. So far, it’s been unusually quiet with less people than I would have expected. But I’m guessing it’s because a lot of people are gone for the summer and once the school seasons starts up it’ll become more occupied. The management company plans frequent social events for residents, so I’m looking forward to meeting my neighbors and making new friends.
Our two-day orientation for MMIAM starts Thursday. Last night, I met up for dinner and drinks with four of the other students who have arrived in Dallas. It’s hot and humid here, but I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year so far. I only needed a safe, clean, affordable, temporary home near the SMU campus, but I’ve been given so much more. I’m feeling very fortunate.
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My MMIAM Journey 