Since you are going to be in Florida for the summer, I would go with a beach theme. I would go to Ikea and get cheap white drapes and hang them floor to ceiling around any windows with either velcro or tension rods and get white duvet covers and sheets while you are at Ikea too. They are inexpensive and you can take them with you when you go.
Dress everything in chic hotel white and then add pops of your favorite most soothing color with pillows etc and bring pictures that make you feel safe and relaxed. And bring your own bed pillow from home. And remember why you are going in the first place and let that be your happy thought.

If you are not able to take all of your belongings with you, I would first suggest to pick out your favorite, must-have items and make sure those are in your temporary place. Also, even though you are there for 3 months, I would hang pictures/artwork on your wall the first weekend you are there.

Fresh flowers, candles, pillows, books.

...fresh fruits, music, wine.

I suppose you can't paint or hang pictures, as you are renting for a short period of time, sigh.

If you can afford it, ship your bedding sets, throw pillows, all the framed family and friends' pictures, lamps and perhaps a favourite chair, if you can. That way everything will be waiting for you when you get there, so it will feel less alien from the get-go.

If you cannot, research local craigslist a few days ahead of
time to find stuff people give away for free. Make sure that you have comfortable textiles and lamps - with those two you can achieve comfort. If you don't have framed pictures of the people you love it is easy to make a collage on a budget: print out the pics at your local Wallgreens and simply arrange them (double sided tape will work) on a huge piece of cardboard that you can hang near the entry way to remind you of the loved ones as you enter your temporary home.

Plants work wonders too, same goes for small home accessories in warm colours.
If you can, drape the windows as that will add more warmth, and bring along from home your coffee mugs and alarm clock so that you wake up the way that you are used to.
if the rental place has a balcony, set up some seating set outside and spend time out as much as you can - morning and evening sky is the same everywhere but Beijing.
Good luck!

color and cheap furniture! you can find SO many beautiful and affordable pieces of artwork (print, illustration, photography etc.) on etsy. for furniture, it's probably obvious that ikea and second-hand stuff is most economical. other than that, the following are things that personally always make ME feel at home, and you could get for VERY cheap at Marshalls/TJMaxx/etc.
-throw blankets
-candles
-framed pictures of family and friends, as well as the artwork from etsy (ikea frames are a good option and super, duper cheap.)
-warm lighting that you can vary (bright to soft). i have found over the years that my own anxiety and depression can be strongly affected by lighting. as a result, i make sure to have several lamps in my apartment so that i can vary the light levels without it ever feeling dark.
-favorite books on display - especially if your place is sparse. use them as decoration.

anyway, those are just my thoughts.

Oh yeah, and for the future: get a dog! You cannot be depressed with those animals around! Speaking from my own experience.

It rains a lot in Florida during the summer, so be prepared for that. I would actually recommend brightly colored curtains if you are in a place with white walls.

It will also be hotter than Hades. so make sure the bedding you bring is lightweight. Those waffle-y cotton blankets are great in the Florida climate.

Can you bring a pet? A cat? Goldfish?

I would also strongly recommend finding something to do that allows you and your partner a little space from each other in case you need it. See if you can join a gym or a yoga studio for the time you will be there.

I agree with the comment about white curtains...serene simplicity...it is also budget friendly. In terms of anxiety, I would suggest keeping the entire process as manageable as possible so that you do not feel overwhelmed. Plenty of light, fresh air...clean and simple...fresh sheets and towels.

Pictures of the things that make you happy. People, places, if you have a dog or cat, etc. Light colors, but not white or gray (they can look institutional). Side note: don't drink wine. Alcohol is a depressant, and when you already have those sorts of issues...really, really stupid suggestion.

I had the same dilemma in a sublet once. I tacked up some sheets on the walls to make the walls the color I wanted. It worked really well, actually. Add in a small throw rug, nice towels, a duvet cover, a vase for flowers, some candles. If you need furniture - continue to think portable: director's chairs, an aerobed, there are even packable tables for camping that are affordable and nice looking. You could probably mail most or all of these things to yourself if needed. Or, you might be able to get some items at a nearby Salvation Army and then donate them back at the end of the summer.

i lived in a dingy summer rental once and oddly enough what made the whole thing the most tolerable was a bright rug and one or two brightly colored throw pillows. a cozy blanket is also crucial, as are pictures of loved ones!

I've lived in temporary situations for work a couple of times.
I have a small list of things that I do/bring.

1. I bring my own bedding and towels, along with other pieces of textiles, in colors that I love.
2. First thing I do when I get there is to rearrange the furniture to my taste, removing anything that I really can't bear to look at and storing it.
3. I cover the things I cannot bear to look at with the textiles I bring.
4. I go to local stores and thrift shops and buy cheap plates, mugs etc. I make sure I really like them, and think of them as souvenirs to take home with me.

If you can, set up internet service asap so that you can communicate with your friends and family back home as much as possible. Keeps me sane.

Amber, I understand your need for a homey and comfortable place that conveys feelings of security and calmness. It's really important to me too. I agree with a lot of the other comments like, bring your "must have" items that are easy to transport. Whenever I move I set up the bed and kitchen first. That way I can sleep and eat well in a time of transition. A sunny (but not hot) apartment will help too. Enjoy your summer! I hear Panama City has lovely beaches.

My suggestion: pin up some beautiful gauzy colorful fabrics as curtains, and cover the bed in another beautiful fabric. If the lights are harsh, use the old dorm technique and cover those with scarves, as well. You'll end up with other things that make your place yours as well, like a few prints from a flea market for instance.

I moved to SC for a summer when I was in college and even though I was living with family, I still got homesick and a bit depressed. I suggest you bring a few of your favorite things. For example:

1 (small/not priceless) piece from your favorite display collection(s)
5 books that you read over and over
1 collage frame of pictures
10 movies (or forward your netflix account)
1 favorite coffee mug/drinking glass, or whatever kitchen item you're most attached to
Your Music. My ipod was the best investment I ever made.

If you can't bring any of your artwork, go on all posters and order a few cheap posters that are similar to what you have at home--it's amazing how that makes a place feel complete.

Just think about what makes your home feel like home and do what you can to recreate it. I spent 20 years of my life in one place, and I was terrified the first time I moved. Once I did, I realized that it wasn't the place that made it home. It was the people, experiences and things I surrounded myself with, and all of those things can move with you.

Sounds like a wonderful adventure for you both. I would suggest keeping things light by:

1. Ikea has inexpensive window coverings (white grommet tops are a great look and are priced low).

2. White dinner plates (again Ikea has everything you need...geez it sounds like an Ikea commercial!)

3. Orchids from Home Depot...again, super cheap. Inexpensive enough to put in every room. And put them in new simple pots (again Ikea is a good source since you'll be there anyway getting your plates and drapes!)

4. Lots of your favorite music. You can also listen to your favorite hometown radio stations online when you get homesick.

Good luck to you both!

When I was in a temporary apartment, I did a lot of the aforementioned things. But one small 5 minute job I took on was to swap out the shower head. So many apartments have chincy $2 shower heads. I ran over to Target and picked up a $30(ish) WaterPik hand-held shower job. It made showers a little enjoyable. Good Luck there!

If you can paint, I would recommend painting an accent wall. Painting the whole apartment would be too time consuming and expensive to do for only a 3 months stay, but an accent wall can brighten things up quickly while still being easy to turn back at the end of your term.

Also, art. Put up as much as you can, to save on frames perhaps look into alternatives here on AT like pants hangers , binder clips on strings/wires, or alligator clips.

keep out a few light blankets or quilts, it will be warm in FL, but they can be used in the evenings and soften the look of furniture.

Finally, PLANTS! since you will only be there a few months you may not want to invest in a full array of houseplants, but fresh flowers, or even a small pot with some annuals would be good. Or you could get a "real" houseplant and gift it to a friend when you leave after august.

I too have a lot of anxiety and surrounding yourself with comfort and familiarity can be really helpful. I agree with what everyone else has said and add this to it:

Put a row of thumbtacks in the wall spaced apart. Hang from each a long loop of thread with a wooden clothes pin at the end. You can clip with the clothes pin pictures, letters, postcards, ephemera, pretty magazine pages - anything you like. It looks really visually stunning on a wall, you can fit the whole set up and objects into one large manilla folders, and you can change the hanging objects/pictures all the time to suit your needs.

Also, I like displaying my favorite books sort of as art, leaning them up against a ledge.

Rearrange the furniture so you have one super cozy spot to retreat to where you feel utterly relaxed.

I might try by making sure you love your essentials, like your bedding, kitchen linens and towels. Coming from a family where we moved a lot my mom taught me that a few beautiful pieces of fabric are always useful to use as a temporary curtain, or over an ugly chair. Good lamps help too, and since these are all things you can take with you, you won't be wasting money on a temporary space. And maybe don't worry about making it too much like "home" just make it a comfortable 'base camp' for your great adventure! Places like the Ace Hotel do a great job of making spare simple spaces feel inviting.

I used to move around a lot. ( 15 times in 8 years). At some point a friend gave me a little figurine of a wizard, because it reminded him of me. It ended up on a shelf in my kitchen, and after a couple of more moves if the wizard was in my kitchen, then it was MY kitchen. Today (having lived the same place in 23 months, doubling my old record!) I wish my home-marker was something prettier, but it still works.

i also find it to be really helpful to get my bedroom, kitchen and bathroom in order first so that basic needs can be met. i don't think you need a lot for this and it can be as simple as hanging a shower curtain, making the bed with comfortable linens, flipping over a box to be a bedside table or an inexpensive fruit bowl on the counter.

for me, it is always important to get things organized, even if it is in cardboard boxes (i.e., a box for underwear and socks, one for t-shirts/tanks, until i can get drawers). think of it as a time to live with less and surround yourself with things that you really love or that are purposeful. i can relate to your needs and wish you a wonderful adventure this summer!

since you'll only be there a few months, I would definitely keep your spending to a minimum...take 10-15 of your favorite photos and hang them from clothes pins on a string across your window or near the door....keep the throw blanket grammy knitted you over the back of a chair for those brisk nights...keep it tactile and colorful! get a few indoor potted plants (Ikea is great for this) that fill your space with life and give you something to maintain. I definitely DO NOT recommend getting a pet, since it sounds like you'll be busy enough as it is and the space is cramped--you likely wont have time to train and house break an animal while going to school and doing an internship. Goldfish, maybe--but you'll feel way less guilty if a plant dies!