My wife and I used to live in a fairly large apartment overlooking a lake. It had a huge hall, a full kitchen, 3 sizable bedrooms, and a decent store room. By Malaysian standards, this was considered to be somewhat of a luxury for someone at my age, but at the same time – it was owned by my parents who willingly let us live there and have us pay them back whenever we had the means.
It was comfortable, no doubt, but it was hard to say that it was home. The hall was quite empty because we couldn’t afford to furnish it. We didn’t use the swimming pool and gym as much as we’d like. The only thing I really miss about it is the convenient parking space, which offered shelter from the rain. It was hard to say we could afford a place like this.
Outward looks can be deceptive
Now, we’re in London, in a small rented studio about a third the size of the previous apartment, and we both feel more at home here. Maybe it’s because we both made the decision to live here on our own, and that we’re both paying for the rental of the place, and we’ve still got a bit of room to breathe in terms of spending.
I find that I do more homey things, like cook meals at home, and vacuum the floor, and rearrange the furniture, and decorate the place. I feel, for once, that I am in control of my living situation, and that’s quite a breath of fresh air.
Satisfaction comes from inside you
I think that all of us yearn for a place to belong, somewhere along our adulthood. There’s something about enjoying the fruits of our labor, and a home is quite often the place that one does that. Somehow, with the apartment my parents provided us, it felt a bit like a short cut, and somehow that didn’t sit right with me.
The reason I’m saying this is because I’m constantly re-evaluating my life. What is it that truly makes me satisfied? With consumerism often choking out what’s important to us, it’s good to step back and count our blessings. No, we might not be at the top of the game, in the eyes of someone else – but inside us is what really matters – it’s really not faking it, and it doesn’t go away.
Similar Posts
- Comparing Work-Life in Kuala Lumpur and London
- The pain of uprooting myself
- Knowing what others earn means having control over your life
- Save the World by Creating Real Value
- Be sure about what you want in life
Excellent ideas these. I’ve been on the analog kick for some years now. If I want an electronic version, I’ll snap a pic with the Blackberry. Otherwise just build an index in the back. (work journal examples)
…dave