Reflections amid the Palm Trees

I’ve been living out here for a year and 5 weeks. I left New York for a few reasons:

1. the weather- I lived in Boston for three years and it ruined winter for me, so I haven’t been happy on the East Coast since. Also, my eventual plan is to move to Israel, so I figure I should practice living in the desert.
2. some bad relationships I wanted to put distance between
3. living in one place for more than two years in a row makes me restless- wanderlust
4. I had a few choices for grad school, but ASU gave me the most funding

At first, I spent most of my time complaining and missing the city:



“I'm from New York, I'm genetically engineered to dislike everywhere. Except Manhattan.” (McDreamy)

"One need never leave the confines of New York to get all the greenery one wishes-I can't even enjoy a blade of grass unless I know there's a subway handy, or a record store or some other sign that people do not totally regret life." (Frank O'Hara)

"The true New Yorker secretly believes that anyone living anywhere else must somehow, in a sense, be kidding." (John Updike)

But after a few months, I realized that living in a place with palm trees and doing something I love instead of toiling in a grey cubicle was making me happy. Very happy. And have a hapy little life here.



So, now that I’m happy to be here, my home should reflect that happiness.

(But I still miss New York).

Why the Cure?

In theory, decorating an apartment when one is a 25 year old graduate student should not be so difficult. Standards are not high: cash is not readily available and most of our days are spent in the department. When we are home, we read, or if we’re lucky enough to have some free time, collapse into bed.

But it drives me insane to live like this when I know that I could do better. Especially when I know that this is not a temporary situation. I will not be leaving in a year, or two, or three, or four. I bought this place, and I will live here until I get that PhD. So, I need to make this into a home, and some throw pillows just aren’t going to do it. And apparently, when left to my own devices, I simply do not have the discipline to devote myself to the project.

And that’s why I think Apartment Therapy could be a way to that happy home. It’s not just about throw pillows, but about changing the way one thinks about home. And since it’s a group deal, with feedback and everything, I have very high hopes. I thought about doing it last spring, but I wasn’t ready. Now, I am. And I think blogging it is going to be the easiest way to keep track of my progress.

11 moves in 7 years

I’m a nester, and when the nomadism began I was careful to unpack and immediately sew some throw pillows, put out some framed photos, or in some way claim the space. But this last big move, from New York to Phoenix, left me a bit lost.

In the first Phoenix apartment I lived in, I never hung any of my clothes in the closet- I simply lived out of a suitcase. Which I’ve done before, but never for 9 months. One room was just full of empty boxes and my books were the only things that were actually unpacked. I’m now 5 months into apartment number two (although I sublet it during the summer so I’ve only actually lived here for two months), and there are still 7 unpacked boxes, plus half a dozen that are open and have things haphazardly thrown in due to a lack of organized storage space.

But a few months ago I found Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan’s book, Apartment Therapy, and the blog. And for the past few months slowly but surely I’ve been inspired to actually do something about this situation. The blog community has been such a fabulous resource, and I’m hoping with this social support I’ll finally be able to create a new home in the desert.