When we considered going to Nicaragua in early December, we realized that at that point in time, we had a choice. We could take that trip, or instead use that money to finally buy ourselves some bedroom furniture. Surely, you couldn’t have been surprised by our ultimate choice.

And so our bedroom on the second floor of our townhouse remains a largely barren space. There is a king-size bed (our first and most important purchase after the home itself – considering that I have spent most of the last year in bed and still require lots of time there recovering). There is a rattan chair that has maybe been used for sitting on once; it instead holds random pieces of clothing and an extra blanket for those chilly nights we’ve had to endure. There are two night stands which are just small tables on loan from my Mom. They are almost completely covered in random stuff – pill bottles, a book, tissues – except that I have to keep one small corner of mine clear so that the cat has a jumping off point to get onto our tall bed.

There are two mismatched dressers given as hand-me-downs, one that is almost empty still because our wardrobes still resemble those of nomads. With the exception of the copious amounts of lounging items that I own and am wearing holes in, our clothes can almost all still fit in one bag each. I still only own one pair of jeans. Everything is getting worn down and I need to do go shopping soon but I hate malls and I can think of a million other things I’d rather do with my scarce energy.

Our bathroom, weirdly enough, feels like a treasured spot for me (even though it is usually a chaotic mess). I’m not one to cover my walls in quotes or emblematic words, but I bought a shower curtain with a single transformative syllable stretched in script across the top. I like seeing it when I turn over in bed.

We bought this townhouse for a couple of reasons: (1) it’s compact (so that we can’t accumulate “stuff”, even if we tried to) and every square foot is usable space, (2) it has two master suites on the second floor, instead of just one master and a couple of smaller bedrooms. This is unusual but was a big selling point to us given that my mom is living with us, and we didn’t want one of us to have to sacrifice. Her bedroom is beautifully decorated and gives us inspiration to someday style our own.

The stairs down lead to the front door, then more stairs to the basement, a door to the one car garage, a half bath, and finally the kitchen and living space. It’s adequate in size for the three us, but just, and when the cat decides she owns most of the sofa, one of us is usually left uncomfortable. Given the standard muted colours of any new development, we opted for a teal sofa to brighten the space. Little by little we are making it our own – my favourite add so far is a large photo that Pete took of the shadow of our air balloon over Cappadocia. Few people actually see it for what it is on first glance so it stands out as a conversation piece. And even if no one cares to ask about it, then it feels like a little secret homage to our journey that we don’t mind keeping to ourselves.

Down one more set of stairs and we are in the windowless basement, with three walls painted a horrid dark purple by the previous owners. It serves as our office, with desks facing each other anchored by a large bookshelf. Our chairs (IKEA purchases that only caused one fat bloody lip on assembly), provide the first comfortable and stable work environment we’ve had in years. We are much more productive with a real space to work in, although drop-in passes to the local co-working space have also proven to be an asset given Pete’s propensity to be too talk-y when I am trying to write.

Across the room is the spare bed and recently developed bathroom, waiting for guests to christen them. (Hint, hint.) Soon, we will add a TV so that I can have a Nintendo Switch. And replace the bed with a pullout couch to make it more comfortable while I play with my Nintendo Switch. Oh yeah, and I NEED to buy a Nintendo Switch. (I might forego a potential next trip for that purchase – did you know that I am a bit of a gamer?)

I am begrudgingly beginning to love our little townhouse and the home that it is becoming, even if that word itself is something I still stumble over in conversation. It is not likely our forever place, but I feel comfortable and nurtured here. I find that there are moments that I even miss it when I am away.

For this moment in time, it is almost everything that we need. (Minus purple walls and plus Switch. Both to be happening soon.) One day we’ll finish off our bedroom. Maybe.