When I first moved — a fresh start after a tumultuous few months — I was excited to decorate my own space. I was looking forward to incorporating my favorite tchotchkes as decor. I was ready to go furniture shopping, you know, like an adult (just about every piece of furniture I have in my home, I can say that I love. This brings a smile to my face and I can probably tell you a few stories behind them, from the store experience to the assembly and placement). It was the first time that I was moving, truly on my own, and I was hyped. I was scared, yet, confident at the same time. I was proud of myself and I felt courageous. I believe everything happens for a reason and moving into this space, my own space, was what was necessary for me to thrive.

My home. I named her Cozy… or maybe I named him Cozy (insert Thinking Face emoji here)...

I never really thought about gender but feel funny writing ‘it’, almost disrespectful. This is the place where I spend most of my time, especially since 2020 A.R. (after Rona). Cozy is the place that protects me from the outside elements. The place that keeps me warm when it’s cold out and keeps me cool when it's hot as hell outside. I am fortunate to be here. I am grateful to have a place that, honestly, brings me peace. I can really stay in for days at a time, ESPECIALLY during the New York winter months — each year I think about how I need to live in a place with tropical weather all year round (insert Weary Face emoji here).

And what's funny is — well not funny but connected — is that I named my home a little less than one month before the pandemic lockdown, just weeks after my one-year anniversary of living in this space. Incidentally, I decided to have my first audiobook experience and listen to ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ (TLCMTU) by Marie Kondo. It’s a book, basically, about tidying up, in one fell swoop, one go — like a tidying marathon, and, ideally, there’ll be no rebounding, no more clutter (insert brown Clapping Hands emoji here).

Now I was feeling as if I needed to cleanse, and because TLCMTU was such a short listen, it was also an easy way to get my feet wet in the world of audiobooks. I dedicated this time to listening intensely, fervently taking notes. This experience was a great example of ‘killing two birds with one stone’ (insert Nerd Face emoji here).

For such a short book, TLCMTU really had me deeply thinking about why I wanted to tidy in the first place. I sat with this question as the narrator read on. I decided that I certainly did not want to tidy every day and that I’d prefer to make it an event (insert Grinning Face with Big Eyes emoji here) — my goal for tidying was to start living my ideal lifestyle, my ideal homestyle, one that promotes wellness.

Well-ness: (Merriam Webster dictionary, 2004)

1. Good health especially as an actively sought goal

Cozy has become my well, ‘my source of supply’. Being here significantly contributes to my ness, ‘my state, my condition’ — I thrive here! Every morning I wake up and am thankful for breath and life. I get up and greet Cozy, with the soft sounds of the morning while sipping a cup of parsley and lemon tea. If I skip my yoga practice or don’t brush my teeth until I shower, or just ‘extreme couch surf’ (a term I learned just recently) or whatever I do or don’t do, Cozy is just there, non-judgemental. When I cook a delicious meal and enjoy it with a glass of chardonnay, I am even more appreciative of Cozy. When I am vibing, singing sometimes extra loudly, shaking my tailfeather, Cozy just cheers me on (insert Winking Face with Tongue emoji here). 

After listening to TLCMTU, I knew I was not going to apply the KonMari method of tidying — a minimalism-inspired approach to tackling your stuff category-by-category rather than room-by-room in order to have a house full of items that spark joy. Instead, I created a list of tasks and a timeline that was supposed to have spanned three to six months. Although I am still in the process of tackling all the subdivisions of the first step — discarding clothes — Cozy remains my place of joy. The name ‘Cozy’ means snug and comfortable. This place fits me and I feel at ease here, which is why Cozy is such an appropriate name for my humble abode (insert Hugging Face emoji here). 

I guess all of this is really to ask, does your home have a name?