Nostalgia

All boxes are now unpacked. Over 60 of them in all. Not including other bulky items, such as the baby's crib and our first bed. I'm puzzled how some things even got here, then remembered how ridiculous the dumping laws were back in Germany. I'm typing on the desktop, which is the last thing we fixed out of those boxes. All the cables connected, power supply attached, and I don't even remember how to switch it on! It was a funny moment, what over 1 year of separation can do to you. I pressed the Power button on the monitor, but it says No signal. lol. I've been spending too much time with my laptop, I just realised.

Over one year ago, I moved on to a new place, acquired new things and adapted to the new life. Detachment was easy for me, with all the experiences that I had, but who's to say it's not painful. Everytime I detach from something, it hurts. But I learned not to think about it, let's not swell it, huh. For the very first time in my life, I had the option of having the things I thought I lost, back. Every single piece of furniture, every little notebook, every piece of photograph, every little souvenier we bought when we travelled, every book we saved and spent on, every gift from well meaning friends, every cd, our first couch, our first dining table - which was just a small working table with foldable chairs, our baby's first potty, first tricycle, first bedsheets,... we got them here now. We couldn't afford many things back then, but the fact that we scrimped and saved for each little thing and as the years passed, we learned that quality surpassed the price tags. Just as we decided to give treats to ourselves, Allah sent us somewhere else, and all those treats still wrapped in their boxes together with everything else, was sent to a warehouse to wait indefinitely.

Indefinitely until just a month ago, they arrived via Bavaria Express and delivered to the doorstep of our new abode to stay with us. I wonder how we managed to pack 60 boxes full of things from that 2-bedroom apartment. How did they all fit in that tiny first apartment? I unpacked them one by one gleefully...sometimes laughing when I see something that striked a good memory, sometimes crying when I am touched by something that I sorely missed. Sometimes disgusted by the moulds of things that shouldn't even be here. All in all, I feel nostalgic. Alhamdulillah.

The first couch now sits comfortably in the corner, finally having a space for itself after being tossed from room to room as we try to figure out the perfect place for it.As I'm typing on this keyboard, looking at the monitor which used to sit right next to my tiny kitchen in a small space of my living room in Forchheim, I can't help but feel at home in this newly set up study room. The first dining table is now back to being a work table, did I mention that it is bright Red? Over 4 years of my life was spent with these mismatched furnitures that I must have bought on impulse or excitement of having what I thought was my bachelor's pad. I was newly married.

It seems to me that married people should have a more mature taste in selecting their wares. It didn't help that I once dabbled in Interior Design, so I am usually torn about the 'themes'. In my mind, I've always pictured a broken down volkswagen-turned couch to be my centrepiece of a living room. The idea didn't go down well with my husband who always makes safe choices in his life (I'm the exception!) That 4+years (in Germany), I was on the road of finding my identity, finding my new interests, finding my place in an inter-cultural marriage set up, absorbing new interests and knowledge, and then the family grew... mismatched continued to live in.

But just so you know, people grow up. After absorbing all the influences, I am at peace now. The journey was humbling. Priceless.

I dare say, this is my favourite room in the house. I feel so at home.

Alhamdulillah.