I just spent my second night in my new apartment. I keep thinking of the precariousness of these first few nights. A new environment provides an opportunity to set new habits. The behaviors I set in place in the next few days will solidify in the course of weeks, like a river carving the earth that after years of activity form canyons.

I want this new home to be closer to what I consider the ideal home: a place for nourishment and replenishment. The hobbit Bilbo Baggins of The Lord of the Rings had nailed this aesthetic in his underground dwelling: warm lights, carpets, wooden floors, plenty of books, a fireplace, a kitchen full of baking and cooking… I would add to this a cat as companion, artwork, plants as deco, good chill music, and perhaps more importantly, an intentional absence of technology (phones, television, computer). All of the above seem doable to obtain, except the last one. Is absolute removal from sight the only option? Wondering what other alternatives may exist…