Homecoming Surprises

Since I've had a rough couple of weeks, I thought I'd share some happy surprises with you all this week. Since meeting my partner, I've needed a cat-sitter in order for me to attend academic conferences, best friends' weddings, and Christmas time back home. And each time, I find something either big or small changed in my home. Sometimes it is out of love and him wanting to make my life a bit more convenient. Other times, it is because he thinks I am the messiest person in the world. Either way, I thought I'd do this little ode to him and all he does from me when I am not home in this blog.

The Living Room

This was one of the largest surprises I came home too. Beforehand, my living room consisted of a small table and oversized chair I got from a garage sale in 2022 and a 32" television with a Craigslisted console a friend once described as "the gift you give to someone you hate" because of how much it weighed. At the time, my partner wanted to remodel his guest bedroom and turn his storage space into an area where he could use his new 3D printer. Hand-me-downs from him included a stationary exercise bike he used once during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, a twin-XL bed frame, and a mattress for guests to sleep on or for me to lounge on while playing videogames or watching t.v. He also turned boxes I used when I had originally moved into this apartment into a small play area under the air conditioner for my cats using cutting tools and some packing tape. As of today, I have used the stationary bike more than he ever did, my cats enjoy his contraption daily, and I've covered the bed with stuffed animals to lounge with.

The Bathroom

The bathroom was my next surprise. My bathroom is pretty small, meaning I have no counter space for any of my daily necessities except a sole bottle of unscented lotion (which could be for guests but is mainly for my lizard-dry scaly skin) and a bottle of soap. I originally put all the things I needed into 2 shower caddies, one for bath materials and the other for daily materials when waking up such as face lotion, my hairbrush, and deodorant. To solve my minor inconvenience, he put together some shelves for me in the bathroom. I put my caddies on the bottom shelf, left the middle shelf for larger bottles and guest stuff, and left a decorative tortoise statue and my shower cap on the top shelf. He also nailed my beloved singing Billy Bass to the area above the top shelf. Unfortunately, his batteries have been fried after 8 years, so Billy no longer serenades my bathroom guests.

The Cat Tree

While a lot of the things my partner are for me, he does give my cats gifts too. Here is a cat tree he got from Amazon and put together for my cats. Gifts for my cats also included a shelf in my office so they can feel tall, a second cat bed so the cats wouldn't have to share just one, a plush avocado, and collars with my contact information on them. Needless to say, my cats are very spoiled even though I'm poor right now.

The Home Office

The home office was one of the bigger surprises. When I was younger, I was the one people thought was organized. Now, as a grad student, I guess my organization skills have left more to be desired. I came home from the Philippines to find a new organizer, some journal and book dividers, and my shelves cleaned and reorganized. He even arranged my pens, markers, and highlighters. It's taken some time to get used to, but overall this isn't a bad change. I still think there is nothing wrong with letting pens roam free in a drawer, though.

The Kitchen Table

I used to have a cheap nylon table cloth, but my cats had destroyed it for fun. My partner didn't let this leave my table bare. He found a short black and white table cloth made out of actual long-lasting fabric and even had a small bucket for stuff to keep the table cloth from shifting. I filled it with energy drinks. He added a jar full of hot sauces we've collected from Taco Bell and a second jar with cough drops inside. How bougie!

The Picture Frame

This last week, I was gone for a national conference. Sometimes, I think there is nothing left for him to do to improve my apartment. This was little, but special. I made a scrapbook page of my best friend's wedding and framed it. However, my cats often played with it when I originally leaned it against my window pane. I came home to it hanging just out of the cats' reach. Nothing crazy, but still special.

Overall, my partner cares for me a lot. His love languages tend to be gift-giving and acts of service, which I am not used to as the only other person I dated prioritized touch above everything else. It's nice to come home to an area where I can usually escape the outside world (as long as my upstairs neighbor isn't yelling at his kids again) and relax in the comfort of a space made for me by both myself and my partner. What more could a lover ask for?

#IDisappointMyDad #IDMD #post11 #HomecomingSurprises #homedecor