I recently moved into a new place and I find myself being more content and cozy. If you asked my friends or co-workers about my last unit you’d probably here the phrase “Crack Home” thrown around a bit. It was a crack house, but filled with care and love, like a home - a crack home.
The apartment was an old red-brick, renovated housing commission. By renovated I mean; the owner threw a new lick of paint on the walls and replaced half the tiles in the bathroom before going: “Ok, lets get a Tennant in!”.
- Some of the lights didn’t work, and were bare LEDs soldered in a fixture (so I couldn’t replace them).
- The bathroom ceiling was dropped to add an exhaust fan (that exhausted back into the bathroom through a hole in the ceiling)
- There was a solid mould problem
- My neighbour above me LOVED to fight his furniture at 1am
This was my first unit living alone, and it was my own place. I took care of it. I decorated it with books, hung skateboard decks off the walls, had a dope sound system and TV hooked up to my PC. I really tried to make it my own. I lived there for almost 3 years with rent only being raised once - $290 a week to $320 a week (with no lease). It was a pretty good setup.
I made so many memories in that unit. Both good and bad. But I’m not upset I’m not there anymore. I mean sure, at the time locking the door for the last time ever was a little sad. But I don’t think I’d ever go back.
It’s the small things you don’t think about.
- I can open my blinds without worrying about someone breaking into my unit
- I can wake up to the sun
- I have a kitchen I enjoy cooking in
- I have space to store my stuff
These are all things my last unit didn’t have that I didn’t think I needed. I had a dope place on my own for cheap, so what if I cant open the blinds or get sunlight? My kitchen has space for a microwave?! Why would I need a good cook-top?
Eventually though, I did end up moving. I started to feel more comfortable moving into a place with someone else and splitting the bills. Maybe I don’t need my own cave? It’s possible to have my own space while also sharing part of it with someone else?
Today I caught myself cleaning. Like just instinctively, not like picking shit up but I mean like I was scrubbing tiles. I never would have done this at the old place, because I think deep down I really didn’t actually like that place - So I didn’t take care of it. This new unit has sun, space, places to put my shit, a bathroom that doesn’t spawn mould like it’s life depends on it. It’s genuinely improved my mental moving, even if it is an extra $5 more rent…
I used to joke with people that I take better care of other peoples place than I do of my own, and I don’t think that applies any more. I actually care about this space, it makes me feel comfortable. I don’t unconsciously flee from it on weekends or during time off, and its been really nice to recognise all this now that I’ve moved.