Home Sweet Home

Some have said moving is one of the most stressful experiences in life next to divorce and death. I don’t like the word stress so I will use the word challenging. As I write this on a mattress sitting in the middle of the living room in front of a television which uses a Rubbermaid trunk as a TV stand is testament that moving is challenging.  I am fortunate my friends are renting me their home, but it doesn’t discount setting up a home has its moments.
When I decided to move back to the US, I decided to sell all my furniture for a few reasons. One, my move was not being paid for by my employer. Two, I did not know the dimensions of my new place before leaving Brussels. Three, I believe there is time to get rid of the old and bring new energy to this chapter.  Although it has been fun to look for new furniture and decorating ideas, I have to realize this all takes patience.  Just as a the perfect couch takes a month to get delivered, I have to recognize getting accustomed to my new life takes time.

My current humble setup

Last week I had a sad birthday week. I spent my first Thanksgiving weekend home in ten years at the hospital with my father, was locked out of my new home for two days, and to top it all off, packages I ordered from cyber Monday were stolen from my porch.  The day of my birthday I thought of my fabulous birthday parties in Brussels and couldn’t help but feeling lonely.  Thankfully, the weekend turned around Friday when I joined the girls of SpicyCandyDC for a fun blogger night out at Recess.  The happiness fully returned when my dear friends Jaime and Mike arrived from NYC for much added housewarming support.

Getting in the Christmas mood….

Jaime has been my friend  for sixteen years. We were roommates our senior year of college. We lived in a very basic apartment which included an “acquired” couch from campus. Now as adults, we found ourselves setting up my Christmas tree in my empty townhome. To cure my birthday blues, they took me for a Belgian meal at Brasserie Beck. For a moment it cured my homesickness of my beloved Brussels. As we ate the oysters, I was reminded of the many dinners Jaime and I had at Belga Queen in Brussels during her many visits to the Kingdom. We concluded the evening bringing down the guest mattress to the empty living room and watching movies, in a similar setup as our college days.
I was naive to think I was not going to miss Brussels the way I do. At the same time, I have to remind myself how I felt the first months at my apartment in Rue de l’Amazone six years ago.  The loneliness soon will fade away…..