Friday, Nov. 03, 2023 - 9:39 pm.
Well, we're moving into our aparment next Friday! It's happening. We started searching for a house in September last year, and just this week we got word that the deed to our apartment has been signed by seller, buyers (us) and bank, and the paperwork is well underway.
Nothing seemed to happen for ages. Suddenly, though, we're packing and making trips to move small belongings from this apartment into what is about to become our home. For who knows how long; maybe a few years, maybe a lifetime.
There is of course a bit of mourning. This apartment complex has been the only home I've known in this my adoptive country up until now. 12 years ago, I moved in with Andrew a week after I arrived to this country, and he had just moved into an apartment here. We've lived in three apartments within the same complex, and it's been quite alright. They were never ours to make the changes we'd have liked, but the place was comfortable and it was across the street from our uni. I will miss the gift of coming home for lunch and rest in the middle of the day (we could still do it in our new apartment, but I'd rather skip lunchtime traffic, and walking would be 40 minutes back and forth).
I'll miss the little community here that we had going on here. Not the neighbors, but the two custodians and the one janitor who work in these buildings. They're very fond of us, as we always showed our appreciation for their work by getting them a coffee or something to eat, and with gifts for Independence Day and Christmas. These are the people who look after the buildings, keep them safe and clean. We most often see the custodians. We see the janitor less, mostly when we come out and she's mopping the staircase (there's no elevator in these buildings), and we smile and apologize as we go through.
Also, we'll sorely miss the lady from the mom-and-pop shop outside the apartment complex. Sadly, "pop" passed away during the pandemic (unrelated illness) and it's just "mom" who was left in charge. She's also very dear to us because she voted in favor of the new Constitution (the one that was ultimately discarded). It's rare to find older people who are left-wing in this region and it just felt safe to talk to her, if the chance to discuss politics arose. Andrew went into her shop the most, I know he'll miss the homemade bread that she bakes and sells on weekends.
That's the community we leave behind. Four people. We see them nearly everyday, we say hello, we have a chat. We're learning the names of the custodians and janitors at our new apartment, they also seem very nice. There's no mom-and-pop shop near our new apartment, which we kind of resent, but there are other useful shops in the surrounding blocks (e.g., a fruit & veg store). It's a nice neighborhood overall, so hopefully we'll find our place there.
Andrew has been in charge of most arrangements if not all. Getting quotations, making phone calls, taking measures, finding the right people for some jobs. I'm grateful for how fast and efficient he is. I'm afraid I come across as indolent, but I am slower to contacting people, and I'm less proficient in home improvement. I don't think I could do it better than he does. So I just try to be on call for whatever he needs and whatever task I can perform.
Of course I've had a life and a mind outside moving, but I'll leave those details for another day. I have to pack. My next entry might be from our new apartment. I can't quite believe it.
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