A week ago, I went with my friend, Ursula, to Ikea. The impetus for this was as follows: I was at the apartment next door, home of Ursula and Sergio, when Ursula placed crackers into a zip-lock bag. I pounced and asked, "Where did you get those bags?" A regular zip-lock bag cannot be found on the supermarket shelves in Italy. She replied that they were from Ikea and that she needed to go soon to pick up coffee and napkins. I asked if I could tag along on her next trip.
In addition to zip-lock bags, I had a list of items that I wanted to buy to have my apartment here feel more like "me"... more like my "home". Included on the list-- glass jars for my morning oatmeal and tea; colorful potholders; a short glass vase for the table; an outdoor mat; new sheets. And, of course there were the extra items I picked up while there, like the heart napkin holder in the photo. Isn't that what Ikea is all about?
The questions of what creates a "home" and where I feel the most "at home", have been on my mind for months. (And, the question of feeling "useful" again, but that's a separate issue!) When I first bought my own house in Bloomfield, I had clear notions of the home I wanted to create. All the photographs on the walls were ones I had taken of significant people and places. Each handmade item had a story. Homemade cookies were always in the freezer. Flowers were on the table. Good quality soap was in the bathroom. I wanted a feeling of love. Of course, some of those aspects are easy to recreate anywhere; but, the essence of "home" is something else.
After the Christmas holidays of 2019 and before the "lockdown", I began to feel homesick. I missed all of my belongings and the activities that I did with ease and confidence. I emailed my friend, Ed, who had traveled extensively. He called and said, "I'm surprised it took you this long." I blurted out, "I just want to throw two sticks of butter in my KitchenAide and bake a damn batch of cookies!" We had a serious conversation about being connected to a place, about routines that mattered, and how it was normal to miss all of that. I had read articles written by people who were traveling long term, and each one said that they didn't even think about the items they had packed into storage. Turns out, that is not my case at all.
After almost a year, my apartment, which is beautifully appointed, does contain more items that I selected. I like remembering each purchase and the conversations with shop owners. The apartment is modern and my taste tends to be more "country", so now there's a happy blend. This is only a small step, because "home" is more than objects. A casa. Dove cantera' il mio cuore?
(Note-- After I wrote this rumination, I listened to a podcast by an American journalist working in Beirut and reporting on the explosion of 4 August. Her apartment was badly damaged. She had multiple cuts requiring stitches. Her story, and worse, is multiplied throughout the city. Perspective.)
