“Like a puzzle, it all seems to be coming together.”
Since the last time we spoke, there were a few considerable accomplishments yet to achieve. Find a new place to stay in Edinburgh, secure a charming job in Scotland and arrange a long-term tenant for my place back home (a decent tenant at that). I can’t say that I am there yet, but things gradually seem to be working out, which is all very exciting. Hear hear!
At a price
A few sacrifices were made here and there. I will move indefinitely within a few weeks and the past month has been MAD crazy. Being adventurous is one thing, but the restlessness I can do without. At the moment, it feels like my life is literally split in two. One part being in Holland, the other in Scotland. I flew back and forth almost every week and multiple tickets had to be rebooked due to unexpected change of events (changes for the better, but let me get into that another time). My hectic life shakes up my calendar every hour of the day it seems. Because of this madness, I keep rescheduling or cancelling stuff in Holland and I am always on the go. I don’t want it to be per se, but it's how this game is played, unfortunately. At least for me.
Airport life
Before, I mentioned my thing for airports. I talked about the aspirations of the people awaiting their journey. Must be said, my excitement for airports is starting to fade. I blame the amount of flights I’ve had. The many delays probably had some doing as well. The life of an airport traveller is actually a lot of waiting around, being told to take off your boots and where to stand (not a big fan of that) and eating overpriced food that most always fails to deliver the quality expectations. Killing time at the airport was never a problem for me, but this month I have been at the airport too many times to really enjoy it. The interior of a certain lounge and a certain gate at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport can be pictured in my sleep... Yes, there are better things to dream about.
Something I’m not so keen on either lately is the flight itself. For me, fly time used to be about relaxing. Nothing else to do but to surrender. Just to be. The way I perceive things now: time is of the essence. I have places to go, people to see. Plus, the flight doesn’t really provide quiet time with all the information being transferred over the intercom. So much for the charm of the ‘business trip’. Not that I am complaining. The opposite really. Here's why.
Falling into place
Like a puzzle, it all seems to be coming together. From giving birth to the idea of ‘taking the plunge’ up to this point. The best of things do happen when you least expect it. As I experienced recently. My trip to Edinburgh last week started like an absolute drag. I had a morning flight, but couldn't sleep because I was afraid I was going to miss it. After a not so perfect 1,5-hour night rest, I took a shower and left the house ready to roll (NOT). There was, however, no choice to the matter. The trip had one specific objective: get myself a new flat. With eight viewings planned in just two days, I knew that would be possible. But I was aware there was no time to fuss around in the city.
I went from area to area. There was no time to store things at the train station before the first viewing appointment, so I ended up walking around all day with both my backpack as well as my heavy laptop bag. The first couple of viewings were ok, but I didn't see myself living there. I was able to see very different parts of the city, in areas I haven’t been before, which was nice. And did I mention that it was another perfectly sunny day in Scotland? Halfway through the day, there was the classic mistake of standing on the wrong side of the road when the bus went out of the city instead of in. I had to change buses and was late for my next viewing. I can laugh about it now, but boy, I wasn't a happy camper there and then.
It was almost five o'clock in the afternoon when something snapped. It was the thing that was building up all day. A twitchy feeling. I was genuinely fed up. Fed up with the tight schedule I forced myself into, fed up with walking around, fed up with taking the bus everywhere and standing at several bus stops. It was quite tiring to be stepping on new grounds all day. Enduring new impressions everywhere you go. Having my phone glued on my hand. Being all dependent on Google Maps. Checking it every five minutes making sure I wasn’t missing a turn (God forbid I would…). Ok, I guess I was just fed up with feeling tired. I thought about cancelling my last viewing of the day. I am glad I didn't.
Means to an end
Cause there it was. The flat that makes all other flats shy away. It’s everything I was looking for, this three-bedroom flat to share with two other roommates. The house interior is clean, but homey. Actually, I could have decorated the place myself, considering the vibe of the place. The exterior of the house has a great old Scottish feel in a quiet residential street, but with the vibrant city life just around the corner. Shops and restaurants are very close by and the train station is a five-minute walk away. Not to mention the fact that it’s located in a top city area.
It was all about being at the right place, at the right time. That is the only way I can describe it. It just all came together so perfectly. When I verbally closed the deal with the land owner on the phone minutes later, happy tears came to light. And not having eaten all day, the celebration dinner in the Indian restaurant next to my new home could not have tasted better. That evening I cancelled the other viewings the next day, all of them. And I unsubscribed from the many flat hunt related stuff I was listed for. This box is checked! Good times!
Moving forward with the physical side of things
The following days were filled with smaller activities. However, they were certainly not less significant. I checked out the local bike stores to figure out the type of bike I would need and learned something new. I bet you didn’t know that the brakes on a UK bike work differently. After asking the guy in the bike store twice whether he was kidding, the guy ended up being dead serious. The right brake at the steer is connected to the front wheel.
The hockey membership for next season is also secured. No coincidence that the club of choice is close to my new flat, has great facilities and offers lots of social engagements during the season. The new season will start right after I’ve moved, so the timing of my enrolment is excellent. Since sport exercise has not been on my mind lately, I couldn’t find the time for it anyway, I have been a bit out of shape. So, I am kind of dreading the first few weeks of the season. Especially, now that I’ve been informed by the club vice-president that the first trainings will be off-pitch and near Arthurs’ Seat. Physical challenges ahead for sure!
Killing a day of celebration
The fifth day in, the day of my departure, was a special day. There are many ways to spend ones birthday, but mine this year is probably not one I would advocate any time soon. I won’t bore you with the details. Let me just say that I am grateful that the iPod Classic was able to entertain me during the five(!) hours I had to kill at the Edinburgh airport before going home on an evening flight. If you’ve ever been there, you would know that five is a challenge. The congrats and b-day wishes I received this day, did give the cloudy day a nice, proper shine.
Marketing a change
About that iPod Classic: I am probably one of the few left in the world, still very much committed to this portable media player. Some might even call it an antique kind by now. I am sad to say that these fantastic items have been slowly disappearing from the market (why Apple why?). What will this laggard do when both of the iPod Classics in possession break down? A problem to solve later in life I suppose. Packing up has more priority no. Cause the countdown has officially begun.
And you know what? Consciously putting aside here, the list of things that still needs to be dealt with, I am quite proud of what I have achieved 😊