There are a lot of things to like about my new apartment: I get plenty of fresh air through five big windows, trees and a nice neighborhood outside those windows, real hardwood floors, high 9ft ceilings, and rent is cheap compared to similar units in this area. The past couple of nights I've woken up during the middle of the night for various reasons, which is strange because I'm such a deep sleeper that I rarely wake up for anything. One night I woke up at 3am to the sound of pouring rain. This morning I woke up at 5:30am because the sunlight was shining on my face! These might not sound so strange to you, but for me, they're something new that I need to get used to -- and I love it.

Yesterday while I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, I realized that after having such a positive experience living in a "normal" apartment, I probably won't want to go back to living in a basement or attic ever again. When that thought came to me, I suddenly realized why the rich never feel rich. Once you become accustomed to a certain lifestyle, its difficult to revert to anything less. I can already catch myself wishing I had a two bedroom apartment with more space and rooms that receive more sunlight throughout the day (my apartment only gets a little sunlight before 9am)!

For the past eight years I have lived in either an attic or a basement, where there were no "normal" windows and rarely any good ventilation. But I kept telling myself I didn't need a full size apartment with normal windows, high ceilings, and lots of ventilation. Why live with more than I need when I can save money? Since my reasons were always related to money, I jumped at the opportunity to get a second floor apartment with plenty of light and ventilation, for the same price I was paying in the basement.

(I will now try to justify living on the second floor with what I feel is luxury.) Perhaps there is a basic level of necessity required to live a healthy lifestyle, and maybe natural light and good ventilation are apart of those necessities. Prior to working at Aerva, my office in Lowell had absolutely no windows or ventilation at all. It felt like going to a prison every time I went to work. Then when I started working at Aerva in April 2006, the office I sat in had two huge windows, but still no ventilation (the windows don't open). However, a new sales guy was hired a few months ago and I had to once again work in an office without windows. After getting a taste of having natural light all day, I craved it more than ever. Now with my new apartment, I wake up to a room full of circulating air and plenty of natural light.

OK, perhaps I'm just complaining a lot and perhaps I'm just invigorated by the healthy change. For the first time I took a cold shower this morning after waking up. It felt great! I've never been able to take cold showers because my body remained feeling cold throughout the day. Could that have been a side effect of sleeping in a basement without any sunlight?!

I am more convinced than ever of the basic human need for sunlight and the amazing healthy and positive effects it has on both our body and mind. But I need to be careful not loose sight of the reason I did not live in a "normal" apartment for so many years. The desire of stuff, combined with easiness of lifestyle adjustment, is a powerful and dangerous force that must be kept in constant check. What do we, as a human beings, really need?