Our furniture waits for us in otherwise empty rooms.The floors are scrubbed clean, the counter tops are free from clutter, and there isn’t a toy in sight. It’s our home, but it’s not.
Looking around, I feel like I’ve been given a second chance in more ways than one. There’s the space itself and how we will fill it (or not fill it). Then there’s the people and choices about how we’ll fill this space as a family.
We left our home for a summer internship, packing away the things that made our home personal, stored and stacked away until we returned. Only the basics remained for our subletters and only the basics traveled with us – just what could fit in our minivan for cross-country travel. We took some habits with us and made new ones – some worth keeping, others better left behind.
Now I’m unpacking the van, bringing out necessities. I’m thinking ahead to what awaits me in the storage room and rethinking the definition of necessity. What will I bring out? What will I leave packed away for when we live in a larger space? What will I let go? We can experience the benefits of moving without changing homes.
More than anything, it feels like a fresh start for my family here. We can start again in this new space after a summer away from old routines and habits. We can re-invent our schedule and reconsider our responsibilities. We can re-imagine how we want our home to feel and the steps we’ll take to create that space. The possibilities are there – the rest is up to us.
It feels good to be home.
Great post mindy. Sometimes I would love a fresh start. The ideas of empty counters seems amazing. Good luck as you transition back home. The north west will miss you!
What wonderful possibilities! I have way to much stuff. I would love a reason to really sort through things and purge or pack. I hope your new beginning gets off to a great start.
What a wonderful opportunity to reassess what you do with your space called home!