New Digs

I moved into my new apartment today. As I figured, it didn't take much to get re-settled: one carload and three times up and down the stairs to move all of my worldly possessions into the apartment. I haven't bought much in the past several months. I set up the cot, turned one of the footlockers on its end to use as a desk, and set the other one beside it to use as a chair. Ta-da, the furniture is all arranged.

After that, I went out to the supermarket and got some "curtains" (tin foil and tape), a coffee maker, styrofoam cups, plastic flatware, and some basic provisions. I considered buying some other things, like furniture and cookware, but decided against it: I'll buy online and have it delivered rather than go out to local stores, unless something is an emergency.

Come to think of it, maybe I will only buy things that I need, and only as I discover that I need them. It feels liberating not to own a bunch of stuff, and I'd like to keep that going. I don't remember who said it, but there's a quote that sticks in my mind - "The things you own end up owning you." There's truth in that.

As to my new pad, it really is a tiny place. It reminds me of a few of the hotels I've stayed at while on the road - "suite" hotels, where you have the usual bed-and-bath, but also a separate sitting room and a kitchenette. As small as it is, it still seems barren: the living room is totally empty, only a cot and footlocker in the bedroom, and two or three items in the closet. In a way, living in a small and empty space makes me feel hollow inside. And in a way, I kind of like that.