Make yourself at home
Milan, Italy
I was never this far away from home and that too for a longer commitment but I was here wasn't I? I was thrown into a pile of new things and new things aren't mine they are nobody's, and you have to claim them as yours. More than the amount people have envied me for being in Italy I have envied them back for being at home, their place, and their comfort zone.
I wanted to make this place mine. I wanted to feel at home.
I am going to list a few ideas that worked for me so that some of you living abroad might feel a bit at home—
1. Smell: You know what I am talking about. Everything has a smell, your place, your friend's place, your grandparents' place. You smell and you remember. So you can cook a meal so spicy and so Indian that it lingers. You open the door and there it is. Or of course, you can use scented candles to match a particular smell of your home, easier.
2. Take control: After living out of luggage for a week I started assigning places to my things according to my new routine. The white jacket goes first in the row, Skincare on the left of the wardrobe, books and diaries on the shelves, shoes lined up, etc. Claim the space with your things arranged neatly according to your liking.
3. Rearrange: Don't just accept the furniture arrangement given to you! Find the things that you like and move everything, it will take 2 days. I had moved the bed so that I could see outside while laying down and moved the table closer to the heater. You should also buy some smaller things that you feel are missing like having more light.
4. Memories: Photo frames and letters or gifts from friends and family will personalize your place further. Don't underestimate the fridge magnets and small notes.
5. Plants: We can't get a pet at a new place but we can get plants. A low-maintenance plant is a better option- Lucky bamboo, money plant, snake plant. If you have something to look after it gets better, they say.
I hope your new place feels a little more like home after these. It does take a month or 2 to get used to bigger changes, give yourself some time.
Send me your experiences of settling down, so that I can add more things to this list.
See you next time :)
