Having moved 5 times in 4 different cities over the past 2.5 years, I would have thought that I should be an expert in moving by now. But to tell you the truth, it doesn't get any better. Every move comsumes a lot of time and energy, even when you've moving to a city that you can't be more familiar with.
Here are the things that in my opinion have to be checked before one can call oneself "settled". Until then, the balance is still lost somewhere out there.
1. having internet connection at home - checked
2. having all the clothes hung neatly in the closet - not yet, and I hate having to fish my stuff from the suitcase
3. having no cardboard box in sight (i.e. it can very much be left unpacked as long as it's not seen) - they haven't even arrived yet
4. knowing where the closest supermarket is and where to get different types of stuff - checked
5. knowing the fastest way to go to work - i guess i do but still need to experiment a bit
6. finding a nail salon close to the house, so that I can visit regularly - next thing on my list!
7. finding a gym / yoga studio close to the house, so that I can feel guilty about not going - the second next thing on my list
8. finding a trustworthy place to have a quick, quiet meal on my own whenever I need to - i may not need it this time since i'm now living at home?
9. being able to just hang out with friends in a casual, carefree way, without feeling like a major catch-up session where you're obliged to tell stories of what's happened to you in the past 6 months - i look forward to that!
As you can see, even though I'm, well, home home now, there're still quite a few boxes that I won't be able to check off anytime soon. But don't worry, I'm slowly working on it - starting by #6 on the list which I plan to do tomorrow...
