THE LONG WAY HOME

Nearly empty

And already gone …

Cat on a hot pink pillow

We love banana boxes

It all started … but you already know that. You know that one year ago my plan started to take form to get back home as quickly as possible.

Well, the initial plan to move my current job to the subsidiary in Austria and comfortably work from my home office there has vanished into thin air. Resulting in my decision to look for a new job, as sad as I am that I will have to leave a job I immensely like and colleagues I immensely enjoy working with. But, as you might have realized by now – just like everyone else – my priority is to move back home. As soon as possible. (And yes, I fear the day I will have to say goodbye to HIM, my special friend! Something I cannot bear thinking about yet …)

My planning actually started many, many months ago. Collecting the first banana boxes to pack for my fall trip to Austria. And after my short September vacation the real planning started. The employees of my two favourite grocery stores within walking distance were either smiling or sighing occasionallywhen I hit them with an “Any empty banana boxes for me today?” at least twice a week. Well, what else was I supposed to do? I had estimated that I would need approximately 180-200 banana boxes for all the stuff distributed throughout my 100 sqm apartment. And one just can´t manage to collect this amount in a matter of a couple of weeks. Particularly, since I only managed to carry four boxes back home in one go. And, compared to my other moves, I had to discover, that the large stores would not keep back and reserve boxes, so you were either in luck when driving there or not … how annoying! Hence, I mostly just graced those two stores close-by and carried them home like a crazy cardboard box collecting person.

By the way, shortly before Christmas I had reached my goal, collecting 165 boxes, the amount I actually need! How I know? Gee, how to explain without sounding like a complete nutcase? Oh well, there it goes. Whenever I brought home empty boxes I started to pack them with items not needed for everyday life. Like my photo albums, read books, DVDs, decorating items, etc etc. I even trial packed some boxes for later packing, making notes what issupposed to go into – let’s say – box number 58 and in the course of time, I could reduce my initial box estimate by more than 30 boxes. Which will be quite some space saved in the moving truck. 

And yes, I do have a detailed list on paper (and in Excel form) to quickly find which item is in which numbered box in case I do need something from one of them. Did you expect anything less from organized list lover me?

Now, it’s the beginning of March, my first job applications have been sent out, I’ve had my first interviews and others lined up and my apartment looks like a big box storage area, with the first pieces of furniture either already sold or still available on ebay. Pieces I know I won’t take with me. A more detailed moving and furniture plan will only be possible when I have A) a new job and B) a new apartment. Trying to be prepared as well as possible.

Until then I’m living with emptied out shelves with only my unread books still displayed, empty glass cases, bare walls and the mere necessities in terms of dishes, mugs and cooking equipment. My plants are basically providing the only decoration at this point.(Having sold or given away some of them as well!Approximately 15, I think!) Weird, right?

And on top of that I only spent around 20 bucks for groceries this past month … trying to use up stored groceries and frozen food. Trying to empty out my freezer as well. Which is hard work, believe it or not! Not knowing how long I still have, it might be a few weeks or a few months. Being in some kind of limbo until everything is settled and my long way home will come to an end! Being back where I belong!

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