During 2019, Logan and I started planning a trip to the UK. We were going to visit England and Scotland during the summer of 2020. However, we canceled our trip because of COVID, and we won't be traveling until a vaccine is available. That also means we’ll be working from home for another year.
Since we’re doing everything at home, making our living space super cozy is on our agenda. I'm revisiting a concept called hygge. It's a Danish word that means "to give courage, comfort, and joy." I read The Little Book of Hygge a few years ago, and I want to read it again. There's also a Swedish idea called mys. In a recent article, writer Ingrid K. Williams explained that hygge and mys are similar. According to Williams, "mys refers more pointedly to an ultra-cozy atmosphere."
To create an ultra-cozy home, we rearranged our office, lighting set-up, and bookshelves. Logan also brought his plants inside and they look lovely in the corner of our living room near the window. Also, keeping the house clean and tidy makes our space feel cared for and serene. Two humans and a cat can be quite messy.
Sometimes making our space cozy requires investing in new belongings. Whether it's clothing or furniture, we want our belongings be part of our lives for a long time. We try to buy our stuff secondhand. If that isn't doable, we buy things from companies that design for life, and have excellent exchange, repair, and return policies.
For example, we've been thinking about buying a couch since October 2019, and we finally bought one! For the past decade, our furniture has been very minimal. Purchasing a couch was well-timed, and I love how it’s made our home feel cozier. The seats are welcoming, the fabric is soft, and it has four modular seats that can be configured in seven different ways. I foresee lots of couch rearranging happening this winter.
As I write this letter, I'm sitting on my couch. A giant cup of coffee is on the window sill, and a fuzzy blanket is covering my legs. I'm trying to concurrently balance a laptop computer and cat on my lap. The balancing act isn't working, and I'm positive Christie the cat will take over my lap shortly.
I won't be traveling, writing at the library, or hanging out in coffee shops for a while, and that's okay. Instead, I’ll be perfecting my hygge and mys moves at home.
With gratitude,
Tammy