SAVANNAH: A Mindful Shift in Space and Spirit.

Story and Photos by Subashini Nadarajah

From 2,700 square feet to 1,300.From a space shaped entirely by my own hands, where every detail had purpose, every texture was placed with care, and the light was studied like a trusted companion. To a place designed by someone else. An apartment in a building with 280 units and 13 floor plans. A shared structure, but now, a uniquely personal experience.

I lived in my former home for 18 years. It held my story. The scent of Sandalwood and Hanoki, the shadows that played on walls at just the right time of day, the quiet alignment of objects and textures that made it fully mine. Moving to Savannah required more than packing, it required releasing. Releasing attachment and expectations. 

And yet, what I’ve found here is an unexpected gift. A blank canvas. 

A space to let my belongings breathe, evolve, and find their place again.Here, I study the light as it spills across new surfaces, observe how my objects settle into unfamiliar corners, and feel the quiet energy begin to hum.

Living mindfully means tuning into those small, silent interactions, between light and wood grain, between curves and shadow, between stillness and sound. It’s the awareness that our space is never just a container, it’s a reflection, an ecosystem that grows with us.

It’s been three weeks. And each day, I walk among my things with curiosity. I place. I observe. I listen. The textures, the scents, the lines, they’re all adapting, just like I am. This space is now alive with the rhythm of the Savannah River: ships that glide past my window, birds that wheel and call, wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds, waterfowl (I’ll hold off on the alligator stories for now).

It’s becoming an extension of who I am, of how I live, and of how I choose to see the world with intention. 

And I’m still experimenting. Still letting the space teach me how to live more consciously, one object, one morning light, one breath at a time.