Tag: lifestyle

Keeping busy.

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It’s funny how much more there is to do when you’re living on your own. Before moving, I hadn’t realized just how much there is to think about every day when you’re fully responsible for taking care of yourself and the place you live in. The past few days I’ve been actively pursuing a second job which I will need alongside my casual work hours back in my hometown. Even on the few days where I hadn’t much left to do aside from light shopping and errands, I found myself busy with little cleaning duties to take care of around the suite. Even the small things you don’t notice right away, like baseboards and cupboard doors, can carry a lot of dust and residue. It’s always a good idea to clean them when you have a little free time to save yourself any trouble (and larger messes) later on.

Where I live, my kitchenette does not have a sink, and so I do my dishes in the washroom. I’ve found a useful system to keep everything clean and organized, and the mess contained to this small space so that I can easily wash up after preparing food or eating a meal. It can be time consuming as I have to do everything by hand, and transport my tub of dishes once cleaned to the kitchenette to dry and put them away. But once you get into a routine, it becomes part of your lifestyle and you don’t think about the process too much. Honestly, I do not mind it at all!

First, I fill the washing tub with hot soapy water. ~ I can’t believe how well it fits in the sink too – I didn’t check to measure the sink before buying the tubs.

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I set the clean tub to the side, with a dish towel to soak up water from the clean dishes — and begin washing! It’s easiest to wash everything, set it beside the sink, and strain the soapy water out of the tub before rinsing. I forgot to take a picture, but I bought a large tea-cup strainer to catch food particles from the washing tub as it drains.

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Next, I rinse and dry the dishes. I take the clean tub out to the kitchenette to make it easier, of course.

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Then wash/rinse and put away the tubs…

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And sanitize the countertop (with a different cloth). I use Lysol kitchen spray, because it cleans nicely and doesn’t leave residue behind. It smells lovely as well!

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A house on a hill.

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I first made the decision to move out this past spring. After I’d completed my first year at University, I realized that my chosen area of study might not be what I want to pursue as a career; I still have some self-discovery ahead of me before I figure that out. The one thing I’ve been completely sure of for a long time now is how much I need to be independent. Living with one’s parents is a privilege many young people don’t have, but it’s hard to live and act as an adult when everything is already provided-for. I would find myself slipping into lazy habits and procrastinating no matter how many times I’d try to change. Living in a small town didn’t help, where most of my neighbours were either older or younger, and my friends were busy in school. So, I stopped spending on unnecessary things, worked more, and put aside money for rent, groceries, and other expenses. I started browsing advertisements online to get a sense for the rental market, and when I felt I had a decent chunk of savings to work with, I started searching for a place of my own.

I cannot say enough how important it is to keep checking those websites every day. Every day. Every few hours even, if possible. That way, you’ll see something new as soon as it comes up. The rental market isn’t at its best right now, so most of the time, anything available will be rented within a few days of it being advertised to the website. I’m still amazed I managed to find the place that I did. I can’t help but think it was just meant for me to find, and that God led me to it!

Originally I’d planned to stay at home at least until the winter, but this place came up and the day I went to check it out I knew it was for me. I’d be moving in, mid-October  — and that was a bit of a shock — but you have to make exceptions sometimes, you know?

Luckily I’d begun collecting household items early on in the summer, mainly from thrift shops and what I could find at the Dollar store (which by the way, is an amazing place for decent kitchenware — I’ll post about this later). By the time October arrived I had almost everything I would need. My suite was already furnished so all I had to bring was a table and some extra storage, as well as a toaster-oven and hotplate for the kitchenette, and my dishes. Clothes, bedding, household supplies and other miscellaneous belongings were easy to pack up and my family helped me transport everything over on Sunday morning.

It’s only my third full day here on my own, but it’s already feeling like home. I can’t wait to see what the next few months will bring!

 

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