The dust has settled. The boxes are empty. The furniture is in the right places. The cats have almost settled into their new home. Me? I’m getting there – slowly but surely . That said, last night was quite sleepless. I suspect I’m still getting used to the sound of the occasional train passing the house during the night. And I do miss the sound of the wind howling down around our cottage from the Ridgeway. Still…all in all, the move seems to be a success! There are still piles of random items that need homes. I’m still missing my security pass for work. But all things considered, it went well.
What now? Back to a more routine sort of life, I think. My commute is about an hour each way which leaves loads of time to listen to audio-books, podcasts, and music galore. Strangely – I’m finding the commute is a nice bit of “me-time”…a chance to download my head after work before going home to husband, cats and in-laws. There will be a few residual bills to pay in the aftermath of the move as the various utility companies try to figure out what to charge for their final bill. The post office is currently having walk-outs and strikes in various areas around the country (I think that’s a summer tradition in England!) so our post won’t start to be forwarded until this Friday, even though I paid for the service to start 2 weeks ago! Beyond all of that, it’ll be so nice to just have a little more “dosh” at the end of each paycheck. Less bills on the horizon is a lovely feeling and it opens the doors for more visits back to the US.
All of that said, last night was (as previously indicated) a bit on the sleepless side. I was thinking about our wee cottage and how it was the first proper home that DAC and I moved into after choosing together. Previously, I had been a warden in hall’s at Southampton University and so we had free accommodation as a result. It was a VERY small flat but it was all ours. Despite that fact, Corner Cottage still feels like our first home on so many levels. And I do miss every inch of it! Strangely though, in my 3am mental meanderings, I realized that when I moved into the cottage, I had a load of plans…lose a bit of weight, exercise and dive more, make serious progress on the PhD, etc. etc. And sadly – little to none of that has happened. It’s quite depressing really to have to admit that! Honestly – we lived there for three years and I have no clue where the time has gone. I’ve been all talk about most things and have no action. On the plus side, I HAVE become a better time thief…a morning person in spades (at least most of the time!)! I’m up at 5am and on the road no later than 6:30…and home by about 5:30. And now that we don’t have our own enormous garden/yard to deal with, I actually have way more time on my hands. I’m lucky that DAC’s dad loves his outdoor garden work and doesn’t actually want any help.
It’s a new place to live, a new UK county to explore, new pubs to try, and new paths to walk. I’ve been suspended from the PhD for quite a while but that’s going to end soon. I’m going to rearrange the sitting room ONE MORE TIME so that I can have a tiny work-out area and start exercising again. I’ve worked into our new budget that I can buy a salad from the café near work every day to prevent me from excusing more unhealthy and expensive options and to have one less thing to worry about when I’m home. In all – I’m choosing to see this move as a good thing even if I’m not convinced of that status every second of every day…I’m hoping that confidence will grow in time. DAC is doing a similar thing, I think. He’s informed his family that he’s not staying in his job as a high school teacher…he explained that he’s going to find a job that doesn’t make him miserable the way teaching was doing.
So, it looks like a fresh start all over for both of us, separately and together. Since that’s the case, back to blogging, back to the daily photo project (now that I’ve found the camera again!) and back to the PhD…and all…hopefully…with a bit more headspace and far fewer financial woes and worries.
What now? Back to a more routine sort of life, I think. My commute is about an hour each way which leaves loads of time to listen to audio-books, podcasts, and music galore. Strangely – I’m finding the commute is a nice bit of “me-time”…a chance to download my head after work before going home to husband, cats and in-laws. There will be a few residual bills to pay in the aftermath of the move as the various utility companies try to figure out what to charge for their final bill. The post office is currently having walk-outs and strikes in various areas around the country (I think that’s a summer tradition in England!) so our post won’t start to be forwarded until this Friday, even though I paid for the service to start 2 weeks ago! Beyond all of that, it’ll be so nice to just have a little more “dosh” at the end of each paycheck. Less bills on the horizon is a lovely feeling and it opens the doors for more visits back to the US.
All of that said, last night was (as previously indicated) a bit on the sleepless side. I was thinking about our wee cottage and how it was the first proper home that DAC and I moved into after choosing together. Previously, I had been a warden in hall’s at Southampton University and so we had free accommodation as a result. It was a VERY small flat but it was all ours. Despite that fact, Corner Cottage still feels like our first home on so many levels. And I do miss every inch of it! Strangely though, in my 3am mental meanderings, I realized that when I moved into the cottage, I had a load of plans…lose a bit of weight, exercise and dive more, make serious progress on the PhD, etc. etc. And sadly – little to none of that has happened. It’s quite depressing really to have to admit that! Honestly – we lived there for three years and I have no clue where the time has gone. I’ve been all talk about most things and have no action. On the plus side, I HAVE become a better time thief…a morning person in spades (at least most of the time!)! I’m up at 5am and on the road no later than 6:30…and home by about 5:30. And now that we don’t have our own enormous garden/yard to deal with, I actually have way more time on my hands. I’m lucky that DAC’s dad loves his outdoor garden work and doesn’t actually want any help.
It’s a new place to live, a new UK county to explore, new pubs to try, and new paths to walk. I’ve been suspended from the PhD for quite a while but that’s going to end soon. I’m going to rearrange the sitting room ONE MORE TIME so that I can have a tiny work-out area and start exercising again. I’ve worked into our new budget that I can buy a salad from the café near work every day to prevent me from excusing more unhealthy and expensive options and to have one less thing to worry about when I’m home. In all – I’m choosing to see this move as a good thing even if I’m not convinced of that status every second of every day…I’m hoping that confidence will grow in time. DAC is doing a similar thing, I think. He’s informed his family that he’s not staying in his job as a high school teacher…he explained that he’s going to find a job that doesn’t make him miserable the way teaching was doing.
So, it looks like a fresh start all over for both of us, separately and together. Since that’s the case, back to blogging, back to the daily photo project (now that I’ve found the camera again!) and back to the PhD…and all…hopefully…with a bit more headspace and far fewer financial woes and worries.
