Just coming back from vacation, I've returned with a fresh set of eyes. Settling back in my apartment, my usual routines appear under a new light, with a new perspective.
You know that feeling. You're just coming back from your remote vacation, high on energy, on a different level of dopamine, endorphins, and all that good stuff.
My return home lets me see things with a totally fresh set of eyes. I'm relaxed. I've been dwelling in the forest. I've seen the beauty of nature, gazing at the sunset, as it kisses the sky, trees, and everything around me, as the day seems to fade. It was rejuvenating. It was a break dearly needed. And it reminded me, to have healthier routines.
Seeing beauty in nature, it shouldn't be a yearly or bi-yearly event, to refill the batteries. At least every other day should have such spots, to live life to the fullest.
But now, just settling in to my apartment here in Hamburg, I see the difference. I see where my daily living is in contrast to my forest vacation.
I see my apartment, at least the living room, organized like a hangout space. Set up to spend hours there, sinking into the couch. But a tiny room in a crowded city is no way to hang out. It's no way to recharge. In a tiny apartment with a cushy couch and a TV, is no place to be. It's a place to unknowingly waste time, without truly recharging. The real place to do that is outside.
And I see my office space. My apartment, is a spot where I can sleep, eat, and also work. But my office space is nicely decorated, like a living room. The room itself is not clearly centered around work, in a cozy productive environment. It is meant to look nice, and to accommodate for many items, while still being functional. It is trying to be many things. But really, the purpose of my tiny apartment is quite clear. Dwelling inside should have a clear set purpose. It should not be this illusion that all my needs are catered here. Because they aren't anyway. An office room that is more clearly structured just to what it is - a place to work - would help me out here.
Last but not least, in all honesty, the clutter and the mess needs to move out. It seems way overcrowded. Sure, my vacation apartment had way less stuff because nobody was actually living there, only me with 2 bags. But still. A space doesn't need to be so cluttered. And it can be clean.
Finally, during my vacation I became reminded of the “invisible values”. A happy attitude towards the day. A smile on your face. Joy towards what you're doing. Reminiscing about what's going on, in a way of calm self-reflection, without haste, without a plan. These are things that life can do without for a certain amount of time, but why would it. Why really would it.
Cheers to change! 🍻