The Nest

I am winding down from an invigoratingly busy winter and spring. I am doing less work, playing more and starting to nest. The problem with this renewed energy for relaxation and leisure is that it is all happening preemptively. I still have projects on the go (with deadlines), classes and a full work schedule, but I think my brain and body have become accustomed to slowing down after spring classes and settling into summer. My dilemma is how to balance the sleepy and the fun with a full work load because I don't really want to keep up the same pace I have been, but I have to get things done. My first piece of the solution is to find a cozy little chair that I can curl up in with my dog and a journal, or with a friend and a glass of wine. This chair will be a 'no work zone;' a place where I can let go of the busy and sink into the cozy. Enter The Nest.

I have always been a second-hand-shopper, a hand-me-down-taker, a this-old-thing-works-just-finer. Lately though, as my hectic life requires organization and immediate gratification in my home to keep me sane and satiated, I have been taking note of its missing elements. When I'm on the phone with my parents, I pace around my basement suite, looking at the old green chairs, my bed, the hard kitchen chairs and yes, even the toilet. Nothing is comfortable for lounging and chatting. I wandered into a furniture store the other day, quite by accident, and a bright light (possibly fluorescent) drew me to this perfect red circle of love. I sank into its fuzzy depths, my thoughts falling away as I curled into the softness. The tag on its side read, 'The Nest.' Oh yes, I am nesting. It's been about a week since I first met The Nest and I've been to visit it on three separate occasions so far, to measure its sinfully curvy dimensions and to continue to build our relationship.

Once The Nest is at home, I can comfortably think of the rest of the solution to balance work, play and rest. For now, I'm going to remind myself every day that I deserve to be comfortable, fed, exercised and organized. Sometimes this might mean spending more money than seems natural for just the right thing, and sometimes I will walk into a thrift store and find the perfect item for less than ten dollars.