The lifestyle to which she has become accustomed

"The lifestyle to which she has become accustomed" is a line that, in my head, belongs on an American TV show about botoxed, spoilt and entitled housewife caricatures who want to continue buying designer handbags. I thought, I'm tough; I've lived in discomfort and even on the poverty line. Povo. I was a povo student twice in my life. Furniture found on the kerb, the cheapest bread and coffee, once even boxes covered by a sari as a bedside table. 

From being university students in a share house to povo immigrants to Australia, we built our careers, savings, family and our own property over a decade. We reached a very comfortable standard of living in Sydney (and in Montreal for 2 years). 

In Montreal, we accepted that we would have to buy everything, all of the house things; because the house that we literally bought over Whatsapp without seeing it was empty (as they usually are). (It was our favourite house so far, btw).

In Gozo, most houses for rent or even sale are furnished and fully equipped down to towels, sheets and cutlery. So my expectation was of a very soft landing; like an air bnb but long-term. And it is.

The thing is, if you are renting out a fully furnished and equipped house, you'd be worried about your nice furniture, so you'd keep that for you, and fill the rental with the stuff you don't care as much about. Fair enough. But not being tourists who only use the house to sleep in, between tanning and tuktuk tours, that kind of furniture starts to feel a bit like being a student again. Wobbly chairs, crusty bathroom joinery, short-ass beds where your feet go over the end like a Dr Seuss character. The wear and tear was to my sanity. Not quite povo but definitely not the lifestyle to which I've become accustomed... and I own that. I want a showerhead that doesn't fall on me as soon as I turn off the water. Landlord, I want to end the lease early due to insufficient cabinetry.

We spent years working hard to earn a higher standard of living, and it took this move to realise how much material comfort is important to me. It's not just superficial; it makes me feel like I've made it, I'm a grown up, I can take care of myself.

In a new environment where you feel untethered already, it's extra important for home to be a sanctuary. My conclusion at this point is that you do need your home to be comfortable and pleasant to help you feel settled in a new place. This might mean buying more shit.

And that leads nicely into my post about minimalism and kids...

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