It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, I was living among a pile of boxes and had made a decision that would forever change my life. I moved. As most of you know by now. And it sucked. A lot. But today marks my second week of living in my new condo and I thought I’d update on how things are going.

It took me a long time to get unpacked. I went through all the cardboard boxes and finally just tossed out the empties today. It was so windy, I nearly lost the pile of boxes to the wind. But luckily, managed to scoop them all up and into the bin they went. I dusted off my hands, came back inside and sat proudly as I glanced around my new space.

My faithful friend Wally dropped off groceries for me this morning. I actually got up, showered and was dressed before 10 am. I really need to try and get into some sort of normal routine so I can get back into “working” mode – whatever that might look like. I’m waiting for approval on my LTDI application. The migraines have been brutal and constant though.

What does that mean? It means I’m still employed, but I’ll be collecting 70% of my salary instead. This will mean some major lifestyle changes and cutting back on some luxuries. If you can call if that. I didn’t have many luxuries like travel to begin with. And with the pandemic still going strong, until I get vaccinated, this is life now.

How has my life changed? A lot surprisingly, and not so much in some ways.

Cooking Challenges

I’ve gotten back into cooking and have been making most of my meals with exception of take in that I ordered the night I moved in here. My sister also dropped off a couple of dinners for me that I ate while still unpacking the kitchen. The kitchen was my priority. I had that done by the end of the first weekend. Next came my spare room, living room and bedroom. While things are unpacked, I am still going through the bins to figure out what I’m keeping and what is being donated.

I love how much room I have here now. My living room is spacious and I have a nice carpet I can lie down on and workout on. There are no mice here. Which means I have a clean floor and don’t have to worry about a critter crawling on me. Or mouse droppings. I’ve checked daily and am happy to report – mouse free for two weeks. I can’t tell you what a relief this has been.

Now that I have a clean and organized kitchen, I’m cooking almost nightly. The nights that I don’t cook, I’m eating leftovers. I feel a lot better for this and it gives me something to do at night time. I’m trying to get back into healthy eating, so my fridge is stocked up with fruits and veggies that will be washed later on this afternoon.

In an effort to save money on food, I’m trying to more mindful of how much I buy. The upper level of my fridge is small and can only hold so much food. So my buying methods have changed. I can also walk across the street to the Dollar Store and No Frills. My sister picked up a microwave so I’m a little low on counter space.

What’s for dinner tonight? I’m thinking I need to use up the kale in the fridge. Maybe a nice quiche. I just love having a working oven. Scratch that. A working kitchen. I’ve fallen in love with my fridge even though it’s a bit tall for me.

I love the quiet.

The BEST part of this place is how freaking quiet it is. The only noises I hear so far are from traffic. I might hear the odd noises from plumbing or the building settling. Or the heating vents kicking in. But even on the holiday weekend, it was SO quiet.

It’s so quiet that I actually leave the windows open to listen to traffic. I also love my balcony. It’s massive. Once the tree grows in, I’ll have a lot of privacy too. Even the traffic noise is quiet compared to downtown living.

The view from the balcony is decent. But the view from my spare room is far more spectacular. I only wish the windows were larger. I took this yesterday morning at 6 am as I stumbled to the bathroom.

I love my new bathrooms. I have a small one with a full shower/bath. And then the master bathroom is huge. And the thing I love most – is the large tub. I’ve missed having baths. This thing is huge and it’s really clean compared to my old tub. No matter how much I cleaned it, it always felt dirty because it had scuffs and stains on it. This room. This is my go to room to unwind at the end of the night. I put on some music. Light a candle. And enjoy a hot bath.

I only have one complaint about this place in general. It’s the walls and baseboards. They’re in pretty rough shape with peeling paint. That’s general wear and tear. I’m not complaining about it to the owner though. He knows. And he is open to renos in the future. The wall color is outdated too – remember this phase in home renos? But I love having carpet again and my feet stay clean.

I will take better pictures once I have cleaned the room and it’s decorated to my liking. It’s a work in progress. Yes, the boxes have been moved lol.

Some other perks are having an elevator again. And a buzzer. I can just ring people in for deliveries up until 6 pm. Which is okay for the most part. If I order in dinner, I’ll just have to order in earlier. For visitors or dropping off supplies, I have my parking stall.

I just meet whoever is coming by the garage and let them in. It’s nice not to have to walk so far to the door – and people don’t have to rush out because they’re parked on the street. It’s safe. I feel safe.

And that’s the main thing. I feel safe here. Walking is safer.

Sure there are sketchy people everywhere, but compared to downtown, this is so much nicer.

I can even put up with the neighbourhood children screaming at each other. They’re usually inside by dinner time anyway. Even the stores close around 9-10 so at night time – it gets really quiet.

And so that’s where we are this Thursday afternoon. Thinking about how much life has changed. I’ve seen family more in the past month than in the past five years. And that says a lot. It’s why I chose this place.

I’ll share more pictures as I decorate. Here’s my fireplace which I love love love. I’ve always wanted one of these. It looks great at night time. The room is still a work in progress.

How’s your week going? What changes have you made this year? This was a huge one for me!!