Last night in the flat...

Today has been a busy one, I woke up at around 4am and was unable to get back to sleep with nerves for an hour or so, then K was up at 6. I then spent an hour pacing and shaking before getting into gear, keeping busy seemed to help. We took K to my sisters for a few hours so we could get the main things done. 2 trips to the tip, 1 trip to the charity shop, and 2 trips to people's houses with more bits and pieces followed by some last minute cleaning. Our flat is now totally bare. Just some suitcases, a laptop and a couple of airbeds. We celebrated our last night in our flat with pizza and icecream, much to K's delight! K is now bathed and asleep and we'll be trying to get some sleep soon ourselves. We're off to a friend's tomorrow around 8 to drop off the airbeds, then C is dropping off the car with the friend who is buying it off us and then some last goodbyes with my sister & family. Another friend is driving our bags round to the bus station (only 5 min walk away but we do have a lot of luggage) at half 12 and the coach leaves for Heathrow at half 1. We should be in the hotel by 5ish. Will drop in once we're settled there. It really is a strange feeling but we've nearly done it. Hope I'm not too nervous tomorrow! Til then.

L.

Just a few days to go!

Am getting very nervous now, K went off to his penultimate day at nursery this morning so me and C have been trying to get the bags packed. It suddenly hit home as I was putting our travelling clothes on one side just what we're about to do. In a way it's been easy to not think too much about the reality of it as otherwise I just get overwhelmed but it's unavoidable now. It'll be easier once we're actually doing the journey as you just have to get on with it.

We get a coach from our bus station at 1.30pm on Saturday to arrive at our hotel around 5pm. Our flight is a 1.15pm the following day so have plenty of time to check out, get to the terminal, check in etc etc. We arrive in Mumbai at 3.05am and fly out to Chennai at 7.00am to arrive at 8.55am. From there we get a taxi to AV which will take roughly 2.5 hours, then we will sleep.

Am hoping K will not be too much trouble on the journey. he wasn't too bad last time but he was 18 months younger. He's been finding this transition difficult and his behaviour has been trying over the past week especially but am sure that we'll cope. At least me and C can take it in turns to be in charge so the other gets a little break.

It's C's last day of work today which he's happy about. We're having a few friends round tomorrow evening then Thurs and Fri will be spent doing the last minute trips to the tip and last goodbyes. K's last day of nursery is Thurs which gives us the morning to get major things done.

Will stop by before we go but for now best get on.

Yours shakily, L.

12 Days and counting...

Well, it's been getting increasingly manic for us, with so much to do and people to say goodbye to. The lack of routine has been taking its toll on all of us with tempers a little frayed and K being more naughty than usual since me and C have been distracted with other things - we will get through it and understanding why things are a bit difficult is an important step in coping, I'm making time to take him to the park and trying to keep a bit of routine going - he has just returned to nursery after two weeks off which should help during these last two weeks. 

 

We are now moved into the living room meaning there there is a totally empty room in the flat:          

 

 

We've disconnected the washing machine and have bags and piles of stuff in the hallway ready to be given away, sold or taken to the charity shop. Our cupboards are almost totally bare and certain food items have run out and are not being replaced. It's reminiscent of when we've gone away for a few days and you try to use up all perishables in the days before but even more so, our weekly food bill has decreased noticably. C bought a box of microwave popcorn last week only to realise that the microwave is already gone, we have now learned that microwave popcorn does not cook so well on the hob!

 

We had a successful visit from our landladies on Sat, they had a look around to see what work needed doing before the place is relet. They are going to replace the carpets so it looks very likely we'll get our full deposit back - this is a huge relief and will give us a bit of back up money in case of emergencies. It felt nice that our hard work repainting and filling holes in the flat was noted and appreciated and is a one less thing to worry about.

 

Have got three suitcases totally packed with three more left plus our carry on luggage. There are still things that just can't be packed until the day we leave. Have already found myself looking for certain items and having to unpack them as I've been a little too over eager to get everything done. It's been a help that I am quite an organised person but it doesn't stop me from getting stressed and from worrying/over thinking. I've been finding it hard to just stop and relax from time to time but again, being aware for my failings is a good start in making the effort to change.

 

It's been strange saying goodbyes, realising that we won't see many people for a very long time but have been trying not to get too bogged down with that fact. Most friends/family are on Facebook and those that aren't are just an email away. K is going to have one or two penpals which I think will be nice as he grows up to have some friends in the UK as well as getting some mail addressed to him.

 

I want to do something special to say farewell to this place, that helps us to say goodbye and look back and not just remember how busy we were in these last days. I had a tattoo done to mark the closing of this chapter and the start of our new life. I've always had a fascination with dandelions and to me the seeds blowing in the wind represent freedom, they also blow over to the mantra on my shoulder which ties them together nicely. I am planning on taking a walk around town with K and take photos of all our favourite places to make an album to remind him of his first home. It's nice to make time for things like that. 

  

 

 

Will be back before we go, must dash now. *deep breath*

L.

Into the last month

We got back from our last family visit on Mon, marking just 4 weeks until we leave. We had such a nice time seeing the family and also some of C's AV friends who are now settled over here. I feel most sad at saying farewell to my Grandparents as I don't really know when we'll be back but I know that I'll make the effort to keep in touch.

It's taken a little while to get back into our rhythm after nearly 5 days away but have been productive over the past few days. The main thing has been to cancel our gas, electric and water as well as our phone contracts and broadband. They all run out as we leave so won't have to go without anything before we go (not sure if we'd survive without internet!). Kai's notice at the nursery has been handed in, he'll attend right up to the last week as it gives us 2 mornings a week to get busy things done. His last day will be the Thurs and we leave on the Sat.

I've cleared our downstairs hallway (including the spindly legged spiders *shudder*) and we've done another trip to the tip with an armchair. Our landlady visits in a week's time which will be a good chance for discuss anything more we need to do but overall am pleased with how the place is coming along.

It's a funny time being so close to leaving, it can feel a little overwhelming as we still have lots of little chores to do and people to say our goodbyes too but am trying my best to just focus on one day at a time and getting a few things done everyday.

If the good weather holds out we can enjoy a few trips to the beach and the hills and if we can get a few friends to join us then it ties in with the goodbyes too.

That's all really for now, I look forward to when these posts are about more than cleaning!

Speak soon, L.

Goodbyes

So with just 5 weeks to go, we are starting to do the rounds to say our goodbyes. We visited some family a few weeks ago in Cornwall which was great, such a beautiful part of the UK too - one we had not visited before.

Cambourne with St Ives in the distance

The seal cove

 

 Us 3

Surfer dude :)

Tomorrow we embark on the second of our family visits up in Nottingham and Lincoln and then the last visits are all local ones for the last few weeks.

I prefer not to see them as actual 'goodbyes' and more like 'see you later's, with tools like Skype and Facebook it becomes easier to keep in touch. We'll also be back to the UK in the future. It's still tough but I will do all I can to keep in touch.

Everything else is going well too, our first two bags are packed and the others are filling up. There is much less 'stuff' in the flat and I have been busy painting the skirtings and scuffs in a bid to spruce up the flat before we go. We also made a little puja for Ganesh, the elephant headed Hindu God who is the patron of travellers. It seemed fitting to give thanks and ask for our journey to be blessed.

 

 

Once we return from our trip away, we'll be moving into the front room enabling us to get rid of the last 2 armchairs, TV, and table that are in there, plus we are dropping off some stuff for storage whilst we are away so I can get to work on the downstairs hallway (might need a bit of help with the spiders though).

 

 

Anyway, must get a few things packed for tomorrow so see you later!

 

 

L x