Empty Nest Chronicles: Reorganizing the Nest

For years it's been a struggle to keep my home in order. Dirty dishes in the sink, unswept floors, glass rings on the furniture, toothpaste on the bathroom countertops, and untidy bedrooms makes me anxious. 

Now that my daughter is away at college the anxiety of having a clean house has calmed down quite a bit but I still have one more bird in the nest. My son only has nine more months before heading off to college and I thought that it would be a good idea to prep my home into a calm sanctuary where I can relax, read, write and
pursue my lifelong dreams in peace and cleanliness. 

Please don't get the wrong idea. We do not live like pigs. I wouldn't allow it. But I am tired of telling my little birdies to: 

• Clean your room
• Clean the kitchen
• Clean your bathroom
• Take out the garbage
• Sweep the floors
• Clean up after yourselves 

First transformation on prepping the nest, my bedroom. Although I haven't been sleeping in there much I felt that it was time to get new fluffy pillows, bed sheets and decorative throw pillows. I then got rid of a ton of clothes and shoes. I reorganized my closet, set up a make shift bedside table where I keep my pens, journals, books and magazines for early morning and late night creative inspiration.

Next up, my living room and my corner desk office. This is where I spend most of my time when I am not at my day job. I transcribe notes for my memoir, I research topics from the story ideas I've collected, edit videos for this blog, and watch primetime TV shows and national news. 

You know what? It just dawned on me that I'll have more flexibility and time to do more of the things I want to do. My schedule won't be restricted to the school year's calendar. No more having to get up to make breakfast in the mornings or rushing home to cook dinner after work. Weekend football games, track and field events, and cooking all day Sunday will be a thing of the past. Oh the joy of finally going to brunch every weekend and just being spontaneous for a weekend trip to the Caribbean with or with company.

The restructuring of the nest and my new found freedom is an ongoing process. The biggest transformation is going to happen when I move out of the suburbs and back into a thriving city. I'll keep you posted on where I will be relocating my nest in the summer of 2015. 

How are you preparing your nest? Leave a comment below or tweet me @TCsViews.