Life at No.22, Musings, New Zealand

Life at No.22 – Shifting In

Suzanne

We have been back home in New Zealand for approximately three weeks.  To say it has been hectic in a sort of organised chaotic way would be an understatement.  Most of that time has had us shifting our “treasures”.  Though one of us kept referring to those treasures with a more descriptive word.

A new chapter in our lives has begun.

It is also the start of sharing snippets of life back in New Zealand.

So far, so good. 

It feels right.

Purchasing an apartment and living in it part-time is a first step for us both.

We are still in the process of discovering what will work and what won’t, or, more to the point, where our “things” will go. It never ceases to amaze me how we can forget where we have placed objects or lose something in a small space! We used to have this issue while living full-time in a motorhome, and that space was more of a challenge to use efficiently and to lose “things.”

In this short period, we have readily embraced apartment living, aided by years of living in a 24sqm motorhome and in Europe for the last three years.  These alternative ways of living, I think, have helped us to adjust to living in an apartment and make that process run more smoothly.  More than we thought it would and certainly more than the previous house that we had built.  Though it is taking me a while to find a place for everything when all of the furniture that we have purchased hasn’t arrived!.  It certainly takes time to decide, buy the furniture, and for it to arrive.

The lack of furniture meant we resumed glamping, with airbeds and outdoor chairs being our only seating. It was preferable to pay more money for alternative accommodation.

Getting back to the fun of the actual shifting, it seemed that each box was taking on the role of Jack in the Box.  Bedlam occurred when each one opened.  To be honest, I should be used to unpacking and sorting.  Shifting never seems to get any easier.  

This shift, we have brought more new than used furniture due to time restraints and having access to a vehicle.  The downside is the vast amount of packaging that arrives with a new purchase.  It has been an eye-opener for us, and it has now made us check any purchases for any overusage of packaging.  

On the upside, unwrapping and opening boxes does feel like an early Christmas. One big difference is that the boxes are stuffed with stuff that has sentimental value. Then there is the flood of memories as I unpack an item and remember which country we purchased it in.

Welcome to shifting!

I know the big question that is forming on your lips is which teatowel was unpacked and used first. Here it is.

Unexpected Pleasures

The warm welcome. 

Invites to enjoy a cuppa and a natter. 

A few neighbours live lives similar to ours. 

There is a sense of community that looks out for each other and respects each other’s privacy.

We even managed to attend our first A.G.M. last month during the first few days of purchasing our apartment. Most people would think that is something to avoid. For us, it enabled us to meet our neighbours and get to grips with living in the apartment building.  

You see, the company directors manage this apartment block where we live.  All of the owners are directors/shareholders in the company.

This system has a significant advantage in that we all have a say in how we want things done.  As you can imagine, this does not always go smoothly, and the process may not be as fast as some would like.  Everyone has an invested interest as it is home for us all.  All decisions are based on a majority rule.  Giving us the reward of lower weekly outgoings than most other apartment buildings that employ a “Body-Corporate system” to manage the property.

There ends my first small snippet about life at No.22; it’s a place where we can put our feet up and let out a big sigh of contentment. A place where we can relax, plan our next adventure housesitting overseas and say, 

“Ah, life is good”.     

Suzanne X

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Published by Suzanne

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24 thoughts on “Life at No.22 – Shifting In”

  3. I can’t imagine you settled Suzanne as you are always off on adventures house-sitting but I do think it is nice to have a home base. We have an apartment on the Gold Coast but at the moment because of my MIL we can’t actually live there full time. We love apartment living and it certainly helps you de-clutter when you have to downsize! Enjoy your new home x

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    1. Thanks Sue, we will still be housesitting for half of the year, and spend the rest in NZ. Well, that’s the plan and no doubt the number spent in either hemisphere will change as time goes on. We are not ready to stop travelling, that is for sure. Apartment living has many positives to it. So far we see more positives than negatives and it will certainly suit our lifestyle.

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  4. Love the tea towel! 😂 And yes I was wondering 😂 so glad you’re settling in & meeting your neighbours. Strange when you talk about opening all your boxes (the word ‘shifting’ is a new one to me) I think about all our boxes stored with so many ‘things’. I honestly can’t remember most of what is in there. Will be fun opening them one day 😊

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    1. Hahaha, pleased you love the tea towel, so do I 🙂 I tell you what Sam, I have no idea why we kept some stuff and why we didn’t keep other stuff we couldn’t find. It is all a big mystery 🙂 It was great unpacking little souvenirs we have collected. We still haven’t sorted everything, just the small things. Though we have just ordered a shopping trolley on wheels for grocery shopping. As we have decided to go car less until we finish doing so much travel 🙂

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        1. We have used one in Germany as we walked from where we were housesitting to the local supermarket which was downhill. The shopping trolley was a godsend 🙂 As it will be using it here in NZ.

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  6. You are making me crave a home of my own. I’m glad you are both settling in fine and opening those boxes is indeed a bit like Christmas. Finding a spot for everything I would think is exciting, especially the souvenirs. Enjoy your time in NZ, and planning the next adventures abroad.

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    1. Thanks Liesbet, it’s going well though we are missing our other homeland 😁 You will settle when you are ready!

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    1. That made me laugh 😊. Yes, until her wings are fixed then she and the squire will fly away to their next adventure.

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  8. After about two years of our own being on the road in SE Asia, when we finally determined that Sri Lanka would be our home base, it was like a huge sigh of relief. Much as we both loved living nomadically, sequentially, and the excitement of permanent travel, it is as wonderful to have a place that serves as home base.

    Every time we travel (which is often) we are so happy to have a place to come home to, where we know there is hot water, that the bed is comfortable and small things like tending to a garden, that I missed when we were “homeless” So I totally relate to this post and understand the appreciation associated with putting down some tentative “roots”, or just nesting for a period of time after a lot of travel and a lot of change.

    Congratulations.

    Peta

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    1. Thanks Peta, yes you would understand the need to do it. As previously written we are certainly missing our other “homeland”. Time will pass quickly and before we know it we will be packing our bags. One great thing about having a longer break is the time and energy to do more extensive research. We loved the nomadic lifestyle as it gave us a complete sense of freedom. Sri Lanka would be an incredible place to have a homebase!

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