Final Week in USA (Post Date: Sunday, June 29)

Want to give a big shout out to the folks made my last week in the US so awesome. It could have been a hellish week (and was in some ways, for example with the movers not actually coming the day they were supposed to), but it turned out to be a really special one. I saw friends from HS, college, bschool, and work, as well as my immediate fam and ‘extended’ Chill family up in NH (having seen the real extended fam and Julie the previous weekend).

Over the course of the week I participated in one of my favorite activities (karaoke) with the Unilever crew; had a girls’ wine & cheese night in; enjoyed a picnic and Philharmonic in the Park with Sternies – a good distraction on my 2nd wedding anniversary; laughed with a few of my favorite people over a few pints and nachos on the UWS; and savored a fantastic bottle of red with Mom *not Mum* and Dad. (I’m flattered Dad deemed my departure special enough for the Duckhorn Cab he had been saving.)

Going backwards… on my last morning in NYC I had a nice UES brunch with Unilever friends Franck and Hope, in between disposing of my third- and second-to-last pieces of furniture to some very dependable strangers. After brunch, Gregory stopped by to help me dispose of the one piece of remaining furniture – which proved to be a bit more difficult than might have been expected – and begrudgingly took my remaining case of beer off my hands. Hope, also of Normandie Court domicile, turned out to be a last-minute angel in providing move-out and moral support. I could not have made it through the move-out without Greg or Hope.

As I left my empty apartment to make my fifth and final trip down to load up the Jetta for one more drive to NH, I tried to conjure up wistful feelings about leaving Normandie Court, but they didn’t come. I tried for reflective as I drove out of Manhattan, but leaving over the Willis Ave Bridge rather than something more made for this Hollywood moment seemed to prevent it. Or it could have been that, for the first time in months, I had nothing left to do at that moment to prepare for the move, at which point I allowed myself to feel nothing other than exhausted. Even in absence of pre-nostalgia, I know I will miss the dormish first apartment Jason & I shared, and a magnificent city in which I leave incredible friends but from which I will take countless fond memories.

[insert scream here]

Like I have the time to be writing right now...
I am up to my eyeballs in alligators! In a fortunate(?) turn of events, the movers did not come today as planned. They were supposed to arrive at noon, but at 10:30 I received a call saying 'my' truck had mechanical issues. Long story short, they're coming in the morning, and I had the day to get better organized. It was really helpful, because at every turn I am discovering something else that needs to get done.
However, that takes me out of commission for work tomorrow AM, a critical four-hour stretch in the big Wish-Bone wrap up. Alas, more 6P work gone unfinished.
As I can't figure out what I can and cannot ship overseas, I have a huge amount of household cleaners, personal care products, and food/baking supplies with one foot in the grave. I have been trying to get rid of them on freecycle.com, but of course when you offer up a grab bag of goodies, the inbox floods with promises to pick up immediately and very little follow-through. Well, what do you want for free!? Still, I hope to find these things (surely several hundreds of dollars worth of stuff) a second chance at life.
All in all, a good day - flight booked for Monday, several accounts cancelled, clothing to Goodwill, TV purchased + taken away, suitcase made lighter given more time to assess what's "necessary" to carry with me. And, a little time to relax - enjoyed my last Mexican meal for awhile with my friend Jamie + her baby girl Erica. But I did not get that sense of closure I was expecting when I got up, because my apartment is still full! One more day...

Flat Found!

I went to the UK this weekend to see Jason & help him find an apartment. We were successful! It was actually one of the places he had seen the previous weekend. We looked at about 14 places, half of which he had seen before, and the other half were new to both of us. It's a totally different experience than in NYC. The agents are (generally) much less pushy: they'll help you figure out what the landlord would/should be willing to accept; and actually listen to you, hear what you're looking for, and show you things you therefore might consider. Overall it is a more pleasant experience!

Another strange thing (besides the prices being listed weekly, not monthly) is that rent is negotiable (not the case in NYC). So, we found a place listed at 430 pounds/week, offered 380, and landed at 385. Sweet. It's a really funky place, definitely re-done in the 80s. 2 bed, 2 bath, good-sized living/dining room, and a suspended kitchen(!). Pictures follow!

Master Bedroom

Second Bathroom

Living Room (note stairs leading to kitchen)

Kitchen (note tiny oven)

Of course it was pretty fantastic spending time with Jason, too, this weekend. I finally got to tell him all the stuff that's happened unrelated to the relocation... well, sort of. Like his dad giving me a call to check in, or the guy who took some furniture and later wrote to me to tell me Jason looks like Van Gogh. We hung out in the park in Greenwich for a little while Sunday, just lazing around. I got some decent sleep, finally, and felt more normal than I had in weeks. It was wonderful.

The whole experience is certainly going to be interesting. I am now re-evaluating my stuff - mainly kitchen stuff - to see what else I should not bring to UK and instead bring to NH for storing this weekend. Our storage will be limited (although thankfully we'll have Jason's mom's place for 'seasonal' storage), and there are quirks, like the small oven + fridge. So, I'm going to try to bring only what I can't live without ... you know, like 3 8"-round cake pans, the bundt, angel food, and tart pan.

We're now t-minus 11 days til (likely) move! Still haven't booked a flight yet, but you know, details, details!

Sleepless on the Sofa

As long as I'm having an insomniatic night, I might as well check-in here. I am happy to report having gotten rid of the desk, coffee table, and area rug tonight, with a promise on the TV, runner, halogen lamps, and sofa. After all that excitement, I was so tired I could barely eat my take-out bibimbap at 9:30 but somehow managed to get a second wind. Tried to go to sleep around 11:30, got up at 1:30 to try to tire myself out.

Without going into too much detail, the move is definitely taking a physical toll on me. I have been feeling sick and anxious the past several days, and hopefully the next few days with Jason in England will help straighten me back out. When I give myself a moment to think about it, I miss him terribly and I'm thrilled to get the chance to spend a few days together. Even if we're busy busy during my short visit, it will still be a welcome change of pace.

It may be time to give sleep another shot. 'Night.