Nesting for the 'Emotional Hobo'

I've never been one to get homesick, in fact I relished in the idea of moving around, I couldn't get out of my mums quick enough. But since I left home to go to university, I started feeling homesick quite a lot, I just wasn't sure where of: I knew my mums house didn't feel like home anymore, my rooms at uni didn't, and neither did any of the pit stops I made while travelling. I don't think I'm the only person who has felt this way, I can imagine lots of people in their 20s are feeling homesick not because they miss home, but usually because their missing a place or person that feels like home. And it can be quite draining emotionally to not feel grounded anywhere.

I realised that I felt like this half way through uni, often thinking of myself as 'emotionally homeless', and I ended up just accepting that I would always feel like that, and so would forever be on the go in search for somewhere that makes me feel at home. Recently, however, I've done a couple of things I've never done before and it's made a world of difference:

1. Actually move in. Because I never stayed in one place for long, I didn't really like unpacking properly, and now I'm saying it I feel so silly! I never had ornaments, photo frames, or even jewellery just out on tables/cupboards cause I was constantly thinking about moving and how easy it would be to pack up. Then we got a new housemate and within 2 days of moving in had pictures and art on the wall, ornaments out and it was sooo homely. So that's what I did: got a couple more cushions, some fairy lights, put some photos out, bought some candles, painted the walls etc. Whatever feels homely to you, do it! There's nothing nicer than coming back from a long day and feeling nothing but utter comfort in your own space.
2. Buy some staple groceries. Now I know a lot of people don't like cooking, but you don't have to go out and go crazy, I mean things like spices, salt and pepper, olive oil, tamari sauce etc. I always avoided this cause I thought I'd never use them before I had to move. But it's like £1 for some cayenne pepper etc. And just having these things  can make your house feel more lived in and comforting.
3. Spread some stuff around. So this is more for people who live in a house share, of course if you're living on your own you'll already do this. If you have a living room, maybe put a candle or a photo frame there, put your jacket on the communal hooks, keep some shoes downstairs. It's basically spreading little bits of you around the house so your room doesn't feel disconnected to the house.
4. Build little routines. This can help you to feel more grounded and that you actually have a lifestyle where you're living, not just a home and a job. This could be things like weekly shopping on sundays, take away fridays, or a run in the morning, whatever floats your boat!
5. Make friends with local workers. Like at your local corner shop, pub, coffee shop etc. Just little chit chat, you should aim to have a positive impact on everyone, it makes them feel better about themselves and can make you feel more like a local.
6. Make an effort with the people you live with. Especially if you've moved into a house share with people you don't know. At the end of the day, these are the people you come home to. This made a world of difference to me. Now we meet each other after work, eating dinner together, watch programs together and I feel like they are my family away from family. Even if you’re an introvert, I can guarantee making a little bit of effort every now and then can make you feel a thousand times better after a long day.

These were just a few things I found that have helped me feel at home, if you've been feeling the same give some of these a try. If there's other things that you feel have helped you then please share in the comments below!