And so began the era of flat-pack furniture.
If you know, you know. The endless cardboard boxes, the instructions that seem to be written in riddles, the missing screws that definitely weren’t in the packet… and the infamous Allen key that somehow becomes your new best friend.
After building our first three pieces by hand (with lots of trial and error), I bought myself an electric screwdriver. Best investment I’ve made. Because when your husband’s not the “tools and DIY” type, you learn quickly that someone has to get the job done, and that someone was me. 😅
We’ve since built beds, desks, drawers, shelves, and countless side tables. Each time, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, and I’ve said, “Never again.” (Only to do it again next week.)
But somewhere between all the tightening, hammering, and creative language… I realized something deeper.
– We’re not just building furniture.
– We’re building a life.
– We’re building a new home.
– We’re building new family routines.
– We’re building new traditions, friendships, businesses, communities.
Each flat-pack challenge has become a small metaphor for this entire journey- no shortcuts, no guarantees, and a whole lot of effort. But with enough perseverance (and power tools), it all starts to come together.
It may not be “white glove delivery,” but it’s 100% ours, built with love, resilience, and determination.
To anyone else rebuilding a life from scratch, whether in a new country or a new season… keep going. It’s not always pretty, and it rarely goes exactly to plan, but there’s something deeply meaningful in building it piece by piece.
Even when the last screw doesn’t fit.
