Going Domestic

the end and the beginning

The final tally for our move was 98 kilograms and 288 boxes. I can't remember how many boxes that we came here with, but I am sure that it was at least one hundred less (I can count the number of pieces of furniture that we brought from Calgary on my fingers, I think, and part of me is embarrassed by how we all have new bedroom furniture now). The packing and loading was completed this past Thursday, and on Friday we made a quick trip back to the apartment to a final inspection and final goodbyes. I was happy to leave the ant-laden/moldy bathroom apartment, but leaving some dear people was definitely hard.

We flew out to HCMC on Saturday morning. I'd like to say that my final hour in Thailand was a positive one, but I was actually fairly irate about the lack of accessibility options at the airport, having to balance the baby in one arm and her stroller in another as I navigated a set of stairs to get down to the ground to hop on a bus to get to where our plane was parked at Suvarnabumi. I am not sure how one would balance a grown adult and a wheelchair and perform the same feat. I will not be missing frustrations like that (the airport is usually good for accessibility), though I am not sure that life in Vietnam will be much different on that matter.

Here in HCMC, we're cozy in a service apartment for 3-4 weeks. It's nice to be living in the same city as my husband again. The food has been delicious thus far, but tomorrow I'll be on my own to figure out meals, so we'll see how that goes. Crossing the street is really for the insane. Even at marked crosswalks, motorcyles and vehicles see pedestrians as obstacles to drive around. Tonight we had to do this in the driving rain in the dark, on the way back from dinner out, and I swear that at the last intersection a Toyota Innova very nearly ploughed into us. I am thinking that going out at night on foot is just too crazy for me. I think that Chris might have had the same conclusion because he has gathered a bunch of delivery take-out menus for me to look at for tomorrow!

The Move 2010

Day 1: Nearly everything from the living room
Originally uploaded by goingdomestic

The packing team from Transpo came at 9:30 this morning, and made an amazing amount of progress by six this evening. With the exception of the sofa that I am currently sitting on and the tv, the living room is all packed, my kitchen cupboards are all packed, and the den is nearly done. I wasn't expecting it to happen this fast. By tomorrow night, I imagine that the only items left in the apartment will be our suitcases, the beds we sleep in, and Sadie's crib.

 I'm surprised at how sad I am to leave Thailand, for all that I still melt, after three years, every time I step outside unless it's the cool season. I'll miss my apartment, too, aside from the ants and the way that the sun blares in through the windows. But I am happy to get the show on the road; this pack-out has been inevitable for months.