Life is amazing. It is amazing how you get attached to things, people, places, names over a period of time. Well, I cant get too philosophical (it is so not me!), so I will be direct. We had been very stable (read: staying in one rented place) for the last 7 years. Not once did life throw this challenge of 'house move' in those 7 years. And then come 2011, we have moved home not once, not twice, but thrice! Now, that is way too much action for instability-challenged souls like me!
First move - March 2011
The 6 month stay in our downtown apartment was exceptional. It was situated bang in the heart of downtown to walk to all nearby places and yet slightly away to qualify as peaceful as far as the hustle bustle was concerned. The apartment itself earned tick marks in all the right places - secure, posh, spacious, airy, warm, oodles of natural light, storage space, pantry - everything was just perfect. It was like staying in your very own upscale hotelroom. Plus, the apartment had a very good vibe to it - we have received some of our happiest news in this apartment.
For the first time in our lives, we started accumulating material possessions (read: vehicle, furniture, appliances, pots-pans et al) now that we planned to settle down. And like all good things come to an end (to make way for something better!), we had to start planning to move into a bigger space.
And one fine day in Dec, we moved. Can you believe the amount of painstaking packing that we had to do? Here's a pic. There were approx. 50 boxes (14 were exclusively kitchen ones), 8 bags and not to mention the big ticket items that couldnt be packed in boxes (TV, TV stand, sofa, bed, dresser, lamps, paintings etc). It was a massive project, without doubt.
It is amazing to see how much stuff one accumulates over a period of time. Imagine my surprise when I realised I was closer to being a hoarder than being an incarnation of Buddha! Remember, the realisation strikes only when it is time to move on.
Well, so much for having a move-free life for 7 years. I am sure, moving thrice in an year is His way of striking back at us. It is not just the packing, unpacking, repacking rigmarole but also space planning, refurnishing, address change notifications etc - basically, the whole shebang that comes with moving home. Hopefully, all this will come to an end in the near future once we settle down into our own place.
BTW, did I mention, we will be moving again after 7 months? Yeah baby, bring it on!
First move - March 2011
We shut shop from UK after being there for 7 years and moved to the US for good as a little adventure (not that we were leading drab lives or needed to infuse a little colour!). But deep inside I know I have left behind a significant part of me there. In the rented place that was our first marital home, in the kitchen that I used to so sincerely scrub and clean, in the living room where we have hosted so many parties, in the lush green porch where we soaked in the summer sun, every single place, thing has weaved and etched itself into the memory foam of my brain.
I also had the privilege of calling some utterly wonderful and gorgeous souls as friends in the UK. We enjoyed together, piled on each other, chatted into the wee hours of night, had girlie night outs, took vacations together, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries by throwing lavish parties, ah, life was all hunky-dory!
And then one fine day in March, we moved. The result - our entire married life and 12 combined years of tangible (and otherwise) UK memories jam-packed-till-the-seams-scream in 4 large and 2 small suitcases. Life can be cruel, at times!
Second move - July 2011
Landing straight into my brother-/sister-in-law's place in the US meant that we had a ready home and a ready family that proved so helpful in cushioning the blow of leaving UK and getting used to an utterly new country. It was a blissful three month period at their place. We bonded, we bantered, we undertook culinary exploits together, we explored new places, got accustomed to the new ways of life and above all, they made sure we were equipped to handle life on our own after the stay at their place. The icing on the cake was spending time with my 2.5 year old nephew who is now the second love of my life (after you-know-who!)
And then one fine day in July, we moved. We may have entered US with only 4+2 suitcases, but this time, apart from those, we had additional 12-15 boxes to set up life in the new unfurnished apartment. Here is how it looked like:
Third move - Dec 2011
I also had the privilege of calling some utterly wonderful and gorgeous souls as friends in the UK. We enjoyed together, piled on each other, chatted into the wee hours of night, had girlie night outs, took vacations together, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries by throwing lavish parties, ah, life was all hunky-dory!
And then one fine day in March, we moved. The result - our entire married life and 12 combined years of tangible (and otherwise) UK memories jam-packed-till-the-seams-scream in 4 large and 2 small suitcases. Life can be cruel, at times!
Second move - July 2011
Landing straight into my brother-/sister-in-law's place in the US meant that we had a ready home and a ready family that proved so helpful in cushioning the blow of leaving UK and getting used to an utterly new country. It was a blissful three month period at their place. We bonded, we bantered, we undertook culinary exploits together, we explored new places, got accustomed to the new ways of life and above all, they made sure we were equipped to handle life on our own after the stay at their place. The icing on the cake was spending time with my 2.5 year old nephew who is now the second love of my life (after you-know-who!)
And then one fine day in July, we moved. We may have entered US with only 4+2 suitcases, but this time, apart from those, we had additional 12-15 boxes to set up life in the new unfurnished apartment. Here is how it looked like:
Third move - Dec 2011
The 6 month stay in our downtown apartment was exceptional. It was situated bang in the heart of downtown to walk to all nearby places and yet slightly away to qualify as peaceful as far as the hustle bustle was concerned. The apartment itself earned tick marks in all the right places - secure, posh, spacious, airy, warm, oodles of natural light, storage space, pantry - everything was just perfect. It was like staying in your very own upscale hotelroom. Plus, the apartment had a very good vibe to it - we have received some of our happiest news in this apartment.
For the first time in our lives, we started accumulating material possessions (read: vehicle, furniture, appliances, pots-pans et al) now that we planned to settle down. And like all good things come to an end (to make way for something better!), we had to start planning to move into a bigger space.
And one fine day in Dec, we moved. Can you believe the amount of painstaking packing that we had to do? Here's a pic. There were approx. 50 boxes (14 were exclusively kitchen ones), 8 bags and not to mention the big ticket items that couldnt be packed in boxes (TV, TV stand, sofa, bed, dresser, lamps, paintings etc). It was a massive project, without doubt.
It is amazing to see how much stuff one accumulates over a period of time. Imagine my surprise when I realised I was closer to being a hoarder than being an incarnation of Buddha! Remember, the realisation strikes only when it is time to move on.
Well, so much for having a move-free life for 7 years. I am sure, moving thrice in an year is His way of striking back at us. It is not just the packing, unpacking, repacking rigmarole but also space planning, refurnishing, address change notifications etc - basically, the whole shebang that comes with moving home. Hopefully, all this will come to an end in the near future once we settle down into our own place.
BTW, did I mention, we will be moving again after 7 months? Yeah baby, bring it on!
This world is but a transiton.
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