Staying with my girlfriend, who has lived in the same roomy, beautiful flat for 12 years, I have become extraordinarily homesick for my own place. It hasn’t helped that I’ve been visiting with other friends with equally beautiful (and lived in) homes. And although spending half this year living in amazing hotel rooms had me ready to plunker down once again, it wasn’t until I started spending time in the homes of friends that it really hit that I haven’t had a place of my own to lay my head.
However, after weeks of looking at flat after flat that just won’t do (too dark, too small, too unsafe, too weird landlords, too smelly – oh yes been a lot of those for $1800!!) I’d felt a bit worn down and concerned that my vision of a flat wouldn’t manifest. I’d seen so clearly what I wanted thanks to friends and my own great home last year but I was feeling slightly defeated by everything and lack of hope.
So I took a break, drove up to Malibu and walked around; hesitating going into the Shabby Chic store. But, it’s so pretty in there and in I went. And that’s where I did something that was for me, slightly ridiculous. I’m not a shopper and generally not one to buy without purpose, but there was this beautiful pillowcase just sitting there and I am a smitten kitten for good linens. I picked it up, hesitated for a moment before I gave in to buying this solitary expensive pillowcase.
Not a set, mind you, just a single, beautiful hand-embroidered crocheted linen pillowcase. It didn’t feel weird, actually, it feel really good even though at the moment I don’t have my own pillow to use it with.
But the extravagance was because I needed to feel like I had something that pertained to home whilst living out of two suitcases. Something to look forward to. Something to remind me that one day I’ll have use for it, I just need to be hopeful and keep trying.
Driving back down the coast I felt a bit more at ease, a bit more hopeful that I too, will one day find anther place that will feel like me. Before heading back to Hollywood I decided to stop in at Santa Monica and loook at just one more place.
And wouldn’t you know it, it was the one.