I just moved into a (gorgeous) new apartment so I’m exhausted and hence my posts have been a little thin on the ground. My apologies! Normal service will resume shortly!
Meanwhile, here is what I’ve learned about moving:
1. Moving is expensive. Not just because you end up paying double rent and double bond in the crossover period but also because you have to pay removalists (or van hire and cash to your boyfriend’s brother!), connection/disconnection fees for electricity and gas, mail redirection fees, takeout food in the period where you can’t find a fork or plate and many coffees, French champagne to toast your new home, and a complete pantry re-stock because you threw away all those nearly-empty bottles you couldn’t bring yourself to pack. Then there’s a LOT of cleaning products to buy to clean the old place, box hire (yes, I paid to hire boxes), fresh flowers to make the new place feel homely, not to mention all the new furniture you have now decided you suddenly ”need” to replace what you already had and was perfectly fine in the old place. Then there’s cushions. Why do we always need more cushions (by ‘we’ I mean women!)? Who am I kidding, there is still so much more to spend. I have some new cushions being made for me as I type and I have my eyes on all kinds of new homewares (that’s the trouble with this blog!). My boyfriend says we can’t buy anything unless we NEED it. What kind of ridiculous philosophy is that, I ask you?
2. I am exceedingly impatient and have anxious tendancies. I have been here for 3 nights and I wanted to have it all perfect by.. well… yesterday. I’m still feeling anxious because it isn’t all quite right yet. I can’t just sit and relax and enjoy the new home, I have to tidy and unpack, collapse boxes, worry about offending the new neighbours by overfilling the bins, arrange and rearrange the dining table and chairs, worry about where my owl collection is going to be displayed and which artwork is going to go on which wall. I see my own faults and I know I’m ridiculous but I can’t help it. It’s the Monica Geller in me!
3. You can’t have it all. Unless you’re extremely rich, you cannot ever find everything you want in a new apartment, especially in Sydney. I really believe this. There’s always something. Our new place has just been renovated so it’s open plan, shiny and new, in a great suburb and with a balcony. It doesn’t, however, have the water view I’ve had before (in the apartment with the crappy kitchen and bathroom, grumpy neighbour and EVIL letting agent) and (shock horror) it doesn’t have a bath (I am such a bath person!) or undercover parking (boyfriend is more upset about that one). You simply cannot have it all, so be thankful for the good things you do have and remember a house is only a home because of who is in it and how you make the best of it.
