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MAKE
YOUR NEW APARTMENT LESS LONELY
by
Blanche Evans
Do you feel that your new apartment isn't
home?
Many
renters like you are moving into their own
apartments for the first time because of
graduation from college, a recent divorce,
new job or job transfer. Spending a lot
of time alone can compound feelings of loneliness
and a feeling of rootlessness. Although
many renters enjoy the carefree lifestyle
of apartment living, some never get over
a feeling of temporariness.
If you feel lonely in your new apartment,
you're in more company than you think. Poet
Maya Angelou once said, "The ache for home
lives in all of us, the safe place where
we can go as we are and not be questioned."
But,
for the next six months or a year, you will
be occupying your new apartment, so you
might as well make the best of it.
Start
with some tips from history's great writers
to help you make apartment living more inviting:
"Where
thou art - that- is home." Emily Dickenson
If
home is where you are, then make your
home a reflection of who you are. Put
things around you that express your
beliefs, emotions and interests. On
your next visit to "the folks" ask them
to share some mementoes that bring a
smile to your soul. Go through some
old photographs and put them into fresh
new frames for your apartment. Create
a grouping of your favorite people.
Update your phone list and call at least
one person on it weekly. Add fresh flowers.
And put your dorm room poster of "The
Scream" in the trash.
"It
is a miserable thing to feel ashamed of
home." Charles Dickens
Even
if you do want to invite people over
so you won't be as lonely, you won't
be as likely to play host if your apartment
is uninviting. No one expects you to
decorate like something out of Architectural
Digest, but they do expect not to have
to sit on the floor to watch the game
or listen to CD's. Even if you have
to start out with mis-matched furniture
from the Salvation Army, shop and decorate
with hospitality and the comfort of
others in mind.
"The
ornament of a house is the friends who
frequent it." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Learn some points of hospitality that
will make you feel more comfortable
entertaining in your home. A cooking
class or wine tasting event can not
only introduce you to more people, but
give you pointers on easy foods to make
and drinks to serve as well as open
up new topics of conversation. Start
collecting recipes and entertaining
ideas from other hosts and hostesses
you admire.
"The
dog is a lion in his own house." a Persian
proverb
Put things around you of your own choosing.
Your home is a place where you can express
yourself, and your first apartment is
an ideal time to explore interests of
your own. If you want to decorate with
your favorite football team's colors,
or with exotic objects from another
country that you may want to visit some
day, go right ahead. Your apartment
can be yet another way that you get
to learn more about who you are and
what you want out of life.
"The
most fortunate of men, be he a king or
commoner, is he whose welfare is assured
in his own home." Goethe
Take
care of the basics so that you can enjoy
your home. That means taking care of
yourself financially, keeping your bills
paid and your debt well under control.
Personal safety is important, too. Make
sure the path to your home is well-lit
and the locks on your doors are bolted
tight. Keep a list of emergency numbers
handy. Get to know your neighbors, so
that you are aware of any unusual or
suspicious activity.
"Let
a man behave in his own house as a guest."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Treat
your things with respect. Pick up after
yourself. Put away clutter. Treat your
home as if you aren't alone.
"Tis
ever common that men are merriest when
they are from home." Shakespeare
Get
out of the apartment when you are feeling
blue. Get some fresh air, hear some music,
go to the bookstore for a latte and read
all the free newspapers. Volunteer your
time to a worthy cause. Sometimes a change
of scene can blow away the cobwebs.
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