(picture credit: couches.us)
My dog loves to sit or sleep in the left side of the couch in my house’s living room. No matter how I hush him, or try to make him move, he just sits there. It reminds me of Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, who also adore the left side of his couch to the maximum. My dog doesn’t put a reasonable argument for him sitting there, but Sheldon does have a long and pretty scientific reason for that. But I believe they do it for the same basic reason: comfort.
In my experience, being happy is feeling comfortable with everything around me; no matter what the condition is. It means that even when I am sick, or I have no money, or even stressed; as long as I feel comfortable in it, I feel happy and joyful. However, there must an (some) exact place(s) we call safe/comfort zone(s). This by means of place, not condition as I described above. The first in that list is usually home. There is no home like one you’ve got, ‘cause that home belongs to you, the song in Bolt movie, pictures the same feeling about home. Home, not necessarily a house, is the place and surroundings where we grew up and learned many things. Home covers house and family (to me). It is the number one place people usually seek when they need comfort. The second and after can differ between people, as I find my list changes each time (between coffee stores, bookstores, and then bathroom, don’t ask why).
I’ve been away from home since I was 15 (and I am a bit sad remembering that it has been 10 years I don’t celebrate my birthday at home), and while I am moving between high school dormitory, rented room for college, and then university’s boarding house for my graduate study; an obligation to ‘fit in’ is then being created. During those 10 years (and going), apart from home, I need to find another ‘left side of the couch’, because it is not feasible to run back home anytime I need comfort (run, of course, not literally). And I am not Sheldon Cooper, who insists on keeping his left side of the couch in eternal dib and not letting anyone sit on it. Changes can be painful, yes, but then, our attitude determines the result of the changes. I am not a kind of people who adapt quickly to new environment, I admit, but in a way I can easily fit in (are you confused? I do not adapt quickly, but easily. Silly, eh? Never mind, forget it *haha). When I am stuck on something, I need the ‘space bar’, somewhere and sometime I can play with my own mind instead of pretending I am fine and keep talking to people (we do that pretty often, I know). My ‘space bar’ is being alone. Many people don’t like to be alone like me, and instead of pushing back from crowd they often seek solace by coming to friends (which is a great thing to do). I do that occasionally, but then, being alone is the one I prefer most of the time (thus explain the aforementioned bathroom *smile).
Most people don’t like leaving their comfort zone, because again, changes can be painful. I have been living in Taipei for more than 3 years, and when coming back to Indonesia, I feel a bit culture-shocked (the same thing happened when I came to Taiwan for the first time). And I need some period of adjustment (again), in which I spent most of it grumbling and complaining (oh forgive me God, for doing so). That’s my experience; I believe you have your own experience dealing with transition. Entering new (or old) territory apart from our comfort zone can be tricky. Some choose to stand back, some stay for a while, and some move forward. Those are choices. We always have choices, either persist in staying in our old ‘left side of the couch’, or try to make the new place as the new comfort zone. Both need effort. They do.
It is kind of hard to be ‘nomadic person’, but that is my choice. And it happens to almost everyone. You’ve got to move for higher education, for your family, or even to get better parking area (as simple as that). I only want to remind you, most of things are time-dependent. You’ll get over it, by time. Surely, some variables count; your attitude, your determination, and your surroundings.
So, are you in the left side of the couch now? Best of luck, -Citra