Your first place might be tiny, but every rule in it is yours.

Space is not measured only in square metres. A small room you control beats a large one where the hours, the volume and the visitors are set by someone else, because what you are usually short of at home is authority rather than floor. That is why a cramped first place can feel like a promotion.

If you are already there, set the rules on purpose instead of letting them happen to you. When the dishes get done, what time it goes quiet, who comes over. If you are not there yet, notice which freedoms you miss most, because that list is worth keeping.