A Whole New Chapter

Okay: So I haven't been all that consistent with my Gratitude Project posts (when did I start that -- September?), but I'm really in the home stretch there -- T minus 2 posts to go -- and then I think the feel of this blog is going to shift just a bit.

And today you'll get a taste of that.

I'm still unsure of how "personal" to get in my writing. Should I mention peoples' names? Share photos? I think so. Because, why visit an impersonal blog? Besides, if I'm going to write, I prefer to write about the things that drive me -- current events in my life, thoughts and musings, questions and the like.

So here goes: After over a year without an income, nearly eight months of which my husband was (and still is) working here in Panama, we FINALLY received his first paycheque! Seriously. Thankfully, the cheque included seven months' pay. And we are ecstatic!

I can't begin to describe what it's like to live for eight months in a house effectively empty of anything but a fridge, a stove, a dining table and chairs, and a bed. Period. (Well, we had our clothes, of course, and a book or two that came with us in the move from Canada, but that was it). No sofa, nothing hung on the walls; no book shelves, desk or extra linens; one towel apiece, one set of sheets...basically, think "extreme minimalist" and then scale it down 95%.

Not that either my husband or I are very materialistic; we're not driven by the idea of acquiring the latest model of anything, and the only type of shopping I enjoy is that of buying groceries (actually, I LIVE for going grocery shopping! How wonderful is it to find two papaya for $1.00?!), so it's not that we wanted the income for entertainment purposes or unnecessary spending. But when the only seating in the house consists of either the chairs at the dining table or our bed, comfort is at an all-time low. And without any art on the walls or photographs displayed, inspiration runs dry.

On the up-side, however, after so many months of doing without many of the staples in many homes, life becomes very simple, for it becomes ultra clear which are the real priorities: pay the rent, power and water bills, and buy food. Period. And I suppose I could get into a debate about which things are wants or needs, but I won't -- for one of the things I have learned over these months of doing without is that a need might, perhaps, to some degree, be classified by an individual's or a family's lifestyle. For example, I am a student, working on completing an honours degree in International Relations, majoring in both History and in Spanish (literature and language); therefore, a relative need for me is a desk. Can I live without one? Absolutely, as evinced by the past 13 months. Am I more productive and engaged with one? Without a doubt. So you can only imagine how thrilled I was when my husband's long-overdue paycheque finally made its way from the coffers of the Ministry of Agriculture to our bank account late last week -- and we spent the weekend finding surprisingly great deals for some of our most pressing wants-turned-needs!

Now, I have yet to be a homeowner but that doesn't keep me from modifying my/our space as I can to make our home more functional for our lifestyle -- and, thankfully, my husband is of the same mind. So we focused our efforts for this past weekend on making one of our spare bedrooms into an office space and, surprisingly, for we two who don't generally classify shopping as a good time, we found and purchased the following: an L-shaped desk, which provides working space for both of us at the same time; an office chair; a bookshelf; a clock; another shelving unit; curtains; and even a painting which is hung on the wall!

And I am elated! It is thrilling to type this from "my office" and not from the kitchen table and to be enveloped in the productive-feeling ambiance of a functional workspace. I can't wait to tackle this week's essay for the course I'm taking (as mentioned in an earlier post, I am eternally grateful for web-based university courses!). And I look forward to sharing with you more of my experiences as we finally are able to transform our home into a place that reflects who we are and allows us to share it with those around us!