Give it a little time...

That's what Alex has said to me multiple times now, and I know how true it is, but sometimes it is just so hard. Give it a little time and it will start to feel like home, I'll start to know my way around, and make some friends. It gets really hard sometimes though, I miss my home,  and my friends! We've made an offer which was accepted for a flat and are in some of the logistical stuff before we sign a contract for our 6 month lease. I am excited, but it somehow makes it so much more real. I keep saying this as though it's popped up as a surprise somehow, like I wasn't part of the extensive process of selling and packing and organizing, re-organizing and booking that it took to get us here. I was, but when it just hits me sometimes I feel as though I've woken up and been mysteriously plopped here. I know that without a doubt once we get in and give everything a extra cleaning (we bought some supplies tonight! :) ) and unpack our stuff, and give it our special touch it will have a charm that will draw me in as any other place I've lived in. Seeing my towel or measuring cups, tea towels or even lotion tucked away in my bag do put a smile on my face. I forget that they are here, that they are with me, that I haven't lost everything. They do seem slightly out of sight, out of mind. I am well aware that stuff is just stuff, though it often brings me great comfort. Some people have comfort food or comfort habits (smoking, drinking, whatever), or maybe it is a smell that makes them feel at home or ease. For me, I get that feeling a bit when I see items of clothing that I have. At the moment we still have about 6 "space" bags that I had packed to help consolidate on space. I have a few of them in the hallway for sanity sake with our room overflowing with suitcases and such. So these are the ones I pass by more often. And, I am glad I do. I see bits and pieces of items, never a whole, but I am instantly reminded of events surrounding where I got it, or where I've worn it. It sparks a sense of familiarity in a somewhat unfamiliar world. I see the dress I bought two years ago to wear as my Easter dress. I bought it while visiting my grandmother for the last time before she passed away. I remember showing it to her and the smile on her face, her pulling it closer to her to examine the fabric and tell me how pretty she thought I would be in it. She never saw me in it, didn't buy it for me and wasn't even there when we bought it at the store, but that dress, every time I see it, will forever remind me of my beloved Mamaw. There is the swim suit that I just had to have and searched high and low to get my hands on it, which wasn't even until the next season when it wasn't in circulation anymore.... talk about luck! And several others holding memories of smile and laughter, most of warmer weather since I decided I would not need to access them as quickly. I am looking forward to pulling each of my wonderful dress out of the suitcase storage and hanging them in my closet, and then, sad to say, but it will begin to feel much more like home!