A lot has changed since my last visit here. We have moved from a house into a home. Our very own nest. It was always a dream of the OH (other half) and mine to save up so that we could one day have a space which we could call our own. However, in this continent, dreams sometimes stay just that. So, I had kept my heart hopeful but my mouth shut not wanting to pressurize or influence OH's career goals with financial demands. But in 2014, after what was our 7th move, we decided that the moving boxes needed to go. We sat in the cellar and looked at the worn out, exhausted cardboard boxes and just decided we were going to move again. This time, to our own pad. We had been careful with our savings over the years, letting go of temptations because the ultimate goal was always our own home. There were times when we walked on while our noses were tempted by the tantalizing aromas from the Korean/Thai/Indonesian/Indian restaurant. Grumbling stomachs were silenced with healthy portions of fruits but we persisted and every cent that we saved, we put in our little piggy bank.
When we were handed the keys, the first thing we did was to throw away the big cartons. After we were done moving the pots and pans, we threw away the boxes as well. Suddenly, we felt liberated. We had always looked at a rental space as a house and now, suddenly we were standing in our own home. We could do as we wanted. We could paint the walls pink if we felt like it. We could put up art, hang light fixtures, drill holes in walls to put shelves. It took us a year to finally get the basic things we needed. We grew up a little and came to the realization that dreams require money too. 4 years down and we have more than what we started with and ironically, we are happy that it has taken us this long to get here. Every piece we call our own has a story and it is mostly about travel, perseverance and patience. Every piece sits proudly in its rightful place reminding us of a time when we would look longingly at a store or in a magazine. It makes us feel 4 years younger and gives us the power to keep dreaming. The thing is that if you don't dream, you don't push yourself into achieving. You settle for whatever comes your way and that's not what you wanted. So, don't be afraid to dream and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
