There's no place like home.....

Ben found the cutest little flat right where we wanted to be the Friday before I flew out and signed the final papers that Saturday (red door and single ground floor window). So when I touched down, it was nice to come straight to our new home! Our neighborhood is the equivalent to NW 23rd in Portland. Lots of little shops, boutiques, pubs, restaurants and little specialty stores just right around the corner. I can walk to the mass transit line (LUAS) in about 5 minutes, or if I just keep walking I can get to the city centre in about 25 minutes.

Our flat is a one bedroom, little kitchen, tiny bathroom, washer/dryer combo unit in the living room (which someday our Telly will sit on) and a shared back patio for the units. We actually get a parking space, which will come in handy if we ever rent a car to travel out west, but for now it is just an empty gravel area off the patio. Our place in is a converted row house that has been split up into 4 units, so just like back home, we are on the bottom right hand side. It came fully furnished so all we had to do was pick up sheets, towels, eating utensils and cleaning supplies. There is a little love seat and matching chair, small dining table and chairs, coffee table, double bed, dresser and two nightstands. There is not really a closet per se, but a small built in wardrobe that we can hand a few clothes and another wardrobe on the other side of the bed that has built in shelves to put folded clothes on. With a more relaxed work environment I left the suits at home, so really there is not much that I have to hang up thankfully. Since I have stepped off the plane, I have been spending Ben’s money faster than he can make it to get the more essential things you need when setting up a home. Ooops… hopefully I can get that job soon; more on that later.

While Ben is at work, I have been keeping an immaculate home, which really is not that hard to do when it is only 250 square feet, if that. We have no dishwasher, and have to do the dishes as soon as we dirty them, because if we wait, there is not enough hot water to wash more than a couple plates, cups and some silverware. I also go exploring and find some great shops in the neighboring village centers. We can easily walk to about 5 different village centers from our house to grab something to eat or run an errand. Food does not keep as well here and with only a bar fridge, we can only keep so much in the house at a time. I pick up the fresh bread and meat almost daily and pick out all organic food and eggs. There is a great little farmers market just around the corner from us that our friends Will & Gillian showed us while they were living here just last year.

There is a lovely duck pond that used to be a part of a nun convent so it is really well taken care off. We take our leftover scones, or bread there to feed the ducks and swans. The babies hatched recently so it is cute feeding the little babies while I have my morning tea and croissant. I just could not have asked for a better place or better neighborhood. Ben did a wonderful job picking out our new home abroad!