Yep, it’s happening again. Moving.
We knew this was coming. In fact, we’ve been trying to find somewhere to live for as long as I’ve been here (which is nearly 2 months now). After my first few days in Queenstown (which I spent living in a hotel, because who can handle anything else with that kind of jet lag?), I moved in with the Kiwi, who has been living with friends of his for the last 18 months or so. They are really a lovely couple, and they have an adorable nearly 4-year-old son. And this was a perfectly sufficient temporary arrangement. (You read the part about the almost-4-year-old?) But real estate in QT is a unique beast, and it’s been a bit of a battle to find the right place in the right spot at the right price with the right people at the right time.
Yes, it’s just that complicated.
Fortunately, the Kiwis knows a lot of people in town. A friend of his (who also happens to own a “tourism experience” business) and his wife were looking for some new flatmates, for when their current tenants depart back for Ireland in the middle of the month. They are in the right age bracket, have normal day-shift jobs, and do enjoy a good bottle of wine. We went around their place to check it out and get a feel for how long theyy’d be willing to keep us, and it feels like a great pairing. So we agreed to move in!
[SIDEBAR: Queenstown is that really interesting place, where everyone wants to live but nobody can actually afford it. I haven’t lived with anyone platonically since 2002, so the idea of having flatmates was a serious adjustment for me. But it’s the thing to do here. Nobody – and I mean, not a single person that I’ve talked to, in any age range in any job class – lives alone. Couples have other couples, singles find rooms in large houses … It’s a way of life here. And so, we adapt.]
Well, what would you do?
So today was “stage 1” of packing. We sorted through some of the Kiwis things that have been stored in the garage, and I finally got a glimpse of the robust – and I mean, significant – wine collection. A few things will get stored in a friend’s garage for now, but the wine is coming with us. FOR SURE. I never really unpacked (yes, I’ve been living out of suitcases since I arrived in-country), so I didn’t have much to do. Just a little rearranging to fit it all back into space. Tomorrow we’ll take a few things over to the new place, grab a key from our new flatmates (and friends!), and we’ll take the final bits on Thursday. I’m so excited!
This is a good thing for all of us, honestly. The Kiwi and I need to start in a fresh place, in a shared (but neutral) space, with some privacy and without a rambunctious toddler. I know that we’ll come back around for a glass of wine and the friendly sarcasm, but it’ll be a big step forward for us as a pair. Our view will be a little different from the new house – we’ll definitely miss this one.
