Welcome to my folia or nest. I have been nesting for most of my life without ever knowing how truly happy and tranquil it makes me feel. Moving a lot has trained me to consolidate belongings and quickly purge or donate unused clutter. The more I move, the more I loathe it! The process makes me feel like a Kurdish rebel fleeing from my ever accumulating and overpowering belongings. The emptiness I feel after the moving truck hauls off with everything I own leaves me uncertain and exhausted in a barren home.
The next step is daunting to witness box after box piling up suffocating me in this strange new place. It is transitory, nonetheless, perplexing and I am not at ease until everything has escaped its temporary confinement and I successfully find them all a new place—only then does this little bird start to sing again. Working day and night, my back grips me, and my legs pound as if they have their own heartbeat—sit, sit, sit yourself down they scream! But my heart will not be satisfied until the last chotsky is in place.
Despite this laborious and fatiguing project, I love the challenge of finding new dwellings for all the objects and discover that they transform into treasures in a different environment—a nice fresh start.
A fresh start—that is it! Who can deny a fresh start, a cleansing of the soul to make you stronger in your new adventure. Apparently, my life requires frequent fresh starts. However, in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint, I am undertaking a genuine effort for the move-that-ends-all-moves.
I have already started the purging process. I have sold items, I have donated items and I am now in the process of converting items. Even though I made a conscious decision about a former must have purchase, it turns out through my ever-evolving interests and preferences I have changed my mind. I feel awful knowing how much I paid for something I absolutely had to have and now it is not so appealing to me. That’s okay because now that my older and wiser self has a more sophisticated style, I can convert it myself and voila—a new item, a fresh start.
I was reaffirmed of my decision the day after my former boss told me that it was time to part ways. After a sporting event, I sat down to a quaint restaurant to celebrate my children’s victory when across the room I felt the penetrating eyes of a stranger. The tall silver-haired gentleman finally approached our table and because of previous experiences I already knew his question.
To my surprise, he did not ask my husband if he was a ball player (he often is asked if he is Sammy Sosa, even though my husband speaks perfect English and his Spanish sounds more of “Madrileño” Dialect and not Caribbean.) He looked directly at me and asked if I was on TV. I chuckled and said no, not yet. He apologized for starring but could not help noticing how sweet we all looked. That entire day I spent tidying up my nest creating a secure and serene environment. Later in the evening with my family and already the joy from within me radiated so brilliantly for even a stranger to notice it in me.
And that my friends is how I have arrived here at the folia. Through my explorations, interest and experiences, I am pleased to recreate a cozy place for my family and myself again. This little bird is happy to interpret your style and create a fresh start in your nest as well.
Happy nesting!
Cristina
