25 February 2008

What a difference a day makes


View from the flat
Originally uploaded by Shanti, shanti.
Well, a few days, but still! This is what I saw out my window on the day we were leaving the flat in Shibata. Talk about Seasonal Affected Disorder, it hadn't even been snowing that long yet but we were well and truly ready to get to the New Zealand summer.
Things have been really difficult. In fact, it's been the most difficult move I've ever made and that's saying a lot for me. I've made no less than 7 international moves, and god only knows how many domestic ones. But this one just seemed to drag on and on. I think the big difference is that Mr. P had to start work, and I had to start my course only two days after landing. We didn't even have a place to live yet! Every waking moment was focussed on getting us settled somewhere, and so we managed to find a place on about day 7 that we moved straight in to. There was nothing in the flat, and I mean not -a-sausage! So we slept on the floor a few nights until a kind person on my course offered up some foam mattresses for us to borrow. We also got into the storage unit and amazingly, after 4 years, everything was still in pretty good nick albeit full of dust. So we got the chilly bin to keep our milk in and started buying bags of ice so we could keep milk for tea. Finally things started coming together and we obtained a new bed and fridge. We now OWN stuff! Now there's a novel concept. We've just this week managed to get our stuff from the ship (from Japan) and clear customs as well, but it's pretty much box heaven round here. It can only get better, right?
All in all, it's been stressful as hell, but we are really glad to be back!
BTW, this is what it looks like out our window now.