After all of that hoo-ha, I'm still not living in my new space. That's okay, because I'm learning to cultivate patience. Yes, patience.
Despite my occasional biting cynicism, I'm fundamentally an optimist. Proof? I always think that my home renovation projects are going to take about half of the time that they truly require. Call it a strange brain hiccup: Show me a room that needs paint, baseboard, and window treatments, and I'll think "Half day. One day, tops." Maybe it's because of all those home design shows I used to watch back when I had cable. Somebody's funky love shack of a wood-paneled den would be transformed into a tasteful zen retreat in a single day.
Of course, those rooms were aided by a team of five, including a swarthy, tousle-haired carpenter. And they benefit from that kind of sped-up camera work that makes disassembling furniture and taping trim look like a piece of cake.
Truth is that I really enjoy picking up a paint roller and spreading a little sunshine yellow over my kitchen walls, even if it is time-consuming. I don't mind that it takes me a week instead of 3 days to complete a single room.
Which is great, because my popcorn ceiling came down, revealing some ripped and pitted sheetrock beneath. I had somebody resurface the ceiling and throw on new texture. That whole process took about 4 days, which meant that moving my furniture in was impossible until this weekend. My place was still draped in heavy plastic and smelling like a factory until yesterday.
My new neighbors have been extremely kind so far...several people offered to help as me and my little moving day posse tried in vain to fit my gigantic couch into the elevator. They all had the knowing looks on their faces of people who had brought their heavier furniture up to their units via the stairs, but were still rooting for me to succeed.
My couch didn't even make the stair cut, sadly.
Moving is quite an emotional process...because the physical exhaustion eclipses whatever mental machinations that you're going through to adjust to a new environment. Then one day you wake up in your bedroom and before you open your eyes, you forget that you're living in Apartment X and City Y and are...startled.
Spaces have personalities, even nooks within spaces have specific personalities...and I always feel like I have to tread lightly to acquaint myself with a new home. Can't wait to break it in with a little ceremony.
