When
you relocate to a new country and move into a new home, right up there on the
to-do list is unpacking your belongings into your new home. For me, things
happened in a slightly different order. I never thought I would start a new job here before unpacking my belongings, that’s for sure.
Three months after moving to Oz and I have just about finished most of my
unpacking, my new job has been keeping my very busy. It took a good month after
arriving in Perth for our shipping boxes to arrive from the UK and when they
did I was so happy. To be reunited with all of my clothes, shoes, bags, my huge
box of make-up and lotions and potions, books and even just little things like
photo frames and scrap books after three months apart was a joyous occasion.
Unwrapping items individually from their bubble wrap or tissue paper felt like
Christmas had come early especially when I’d also forgotten that I’d bought
things back in London that I knew I wouldn’t find out here. Micky was equally excited
to receive his new Jamie Oliver kitchen knives. With the exception of a broken
bottle of nail varnish, everything was delivered early and undamaged. We were
very happy with the service provided by Freedom Shipping. It’s good to say that
all 19 boxes (except two) have been emptied.
As
for our home, we’re living in a suburb called Ascot in the Ascot Waters area just a stone’s throw from the Ascot Race Course. Our apartment (or “unit” as
the Aussies choose to call them here), sits beside a little Marina and faces
the Swan River. It’s one of the newer suburbs to the east of central Perth with
gorgeous newly built houses surrounding us. It’s a peaceful area with lots of
species of birds circling the estate. We’re in a two bedroomed open-plan
apartment with two bathrooms - I could get really used to having his and hers
separate bathrooms! Very different to our last two small flats in London.
The
flat is still a work in progress but we have been so fortunate to take it over from Micky’s sister who generously left most of her
furniture for us before relocating to Canberra in April. The timing was perfect
for all of us. We’ve only made a couple of trips to Ikea for some
essential furniture; new chest of drawers, book case... I am settling into my new
home and we are exploring our new neighbourhood. It’s taken a couple of months for me
to feel settled but I am getting there… Putting our stamp on the place and finding
“homes” for my belongings at home has helped. Now I need to get back to the bigger task and adventure of settling into Aussie life.
 |
| Ascot Waters marina |
No comments:
Post a Comment