November 20, 2008

  • Here!

    Wow! That was a stressful couple of days! The van arrived on Thursday morning last week and I realised straight away that it was too small. There was nothing to be done about that though as it was too late to have it taken back, I kept telling my self that I could do it. :) I spent most of the day filling that damn van - it nearly killed me! I banged every bone in my body as there was just me to do the filling - everyone was away at work.

    By about 8pm I had to accept that more of my stuff was going to have to be left behind and I began emptying boxes that I had previously packed to see what I could do without. I thinned my book collection down by about another sixty books and left behind some of my kitchen things, it wasn't an easy task as I really had sorted through all of this before and decided that what I was left with was the minimum I required to survive lol!!! Of course that's not true at all - though it felt true at the time. :)

    I slept on the sofa with Fintan on the floor next to me and woke at 5.00am, showered, cleaned the bathroom, took Fintan for a final walk and then Rolf came in a taxi to begin our road trip. We had to leave so quickly that I didn't have a chance to think too much about the fact that I was leaving the house, my safe place for the last twenty-seven years when I was gallivanting around Europe and living it up on the London club scene in the Eighties. I have had many chances to say good bye to my past live(s) led there and most importantly to Desmond who died there and I think that that made the leaving easier. I stopped in each room for a moment and said a silent prayer and then let Desmond's spirit know that it could come with me, or stay here. Then we had to jump in the van and be off.

    The journey from Birmingham to Stranraer went very well, we made excellent time and managed to stop several times to let Fintan out for a run around (me too!!). We arrived in Stranraer with plenty of time to spare and so stopped by the estuary and had some food and just drank in the view - I've only ever been to Edinburgh and so it was especially nice to see a bit more of Scotland.

    The crossing was fine - only two hours (the benefit of driving from England to Scotland you see), I was a bit upset that I couldn't stay in the van with Fintan but apart from that it was okay. We had a lovely sunset and before we knew it the lights of Belfast were coming up and the sight of the massive Samson and Delilah cranes confirmed that my new home was in view.

    It's been almost a week since that fairly traumatic day of packing and I'm settling in well. Patrick, Fintan and I are very comfy in the new house and the stuff I have brought over seems to fit in well. I won't be looking for a job till next year now as we are away to Gran Canaria from the 13th December but I will be busy all the same as I have more therapy courses to commute back to England for and also I have a city to get to know and love. :)

Comments (5)

  • Congrats on surviving the move. Enjoy GC!!

  • As I've been out of the loop for a while I didn't realise that you were moving so soon   I'm glad that everything went well for you travel wise, it's a lovely journey to Scotland on the M6 isn't it ( well, the part through the Lake District is ! ) Are you away for Christmas or will you be back in your new home ? I have just remembered Frank and I were in Stranraer years ago watching the boats going to N Ireland - nice memory. Marie

  • @MSB - Maybe you should get up to Stranraer but thuis time get on the boat for a visit?! There is a lovely Continental Market on just now. :)

  • I am glad you've finally made it. It's difficult leaving places where you had good times, and spent your glory days. I was so sad to leave Los Angeles, but it was such an awful day, I packed up pieces of the back yard, yes, CHUNKS OF CONCRETE AND TILE INTO BOXES, and told the movers they were my encyclopedias !!!I even took the old concrete cherubs from the fountains....(....and in the fountains....pink champagne...)

    I still have those tiles and ROCKS in boxes, waiting to dosomething. When I left awful hateful alcoholic no good white trash in a 40 thousand dollar pick up truck, Arizona, the first thing to take were my California rocks and tiles. I left so much in that house, and didn't care. Much different than you, as I left there, I went around every room, didn't say prayers, I said to the house, "I hate you, and I hope you die! You wasted three years of my life!"

  • Changes are afoot and it sounds like you are making this HUGE transition with grace and optimism. That really covers all you really really need. Bless you and your kind comments of late. I appreciate them as you are a true inspiration in every sense of the word. Yay and congrats! New World ahoy!

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