Slow but steady

I'm inching slowly toward moving day. A little here, a little there.

One of the ways I'm making this easier on myself is to take advantage of every opportunity to simplify the process. The first way was to make the decision to store all my stuff in Ottawa and rent a furnished place in Halifax. That means I only have to pack once and unpack once, rather than doing both at each end of the 12-month adventure. And my company is paying for the storage, so bonus!

I've also accepted the necessity of registering my car in Halifax, which has relieved me of the worry of "getting caught" with an Ontario registered car while living in Nova Scotia. I'll have to get a safety check in order to get insurance, but so be it. As my ex boss put it, if they find anything, I should WANT to have it fixed.

The other thing I've done, just today, is to remove the stress of wondering where the hell I'm going to get enough boxes from by ordering a bunch of good packing boxes from a company online. The same company that will probably be moving me. I've requested they be delivered next Monday afternoon (I'm planning to take Monday off to do relocation errands etc.). This way, I'll have all the boxes I need to do as much packing as I want when I have the energy for it, and I can purge and pack simultaneously, rather than trying to purge first and pack later. Much easier on the energy budget.

I've slowly been writing up instructions on how to do stuff only I have been doing at work, and training my replacement so she won't freak out the first day I'm not there. Even so, I worry about how she'll hold up doing my job, as there are so many things she's never had to do before. I know she can run the department, but I worry about her with regards to the details.

I have to go back to Halifax from December 5-8. Two days of meetings at the regional office (which is where I'm going to be working next year!) and two days to find a place to live. There's been some progress on that front, actually. A guy who works for my company out there has a friend who wants to rent a bachelor apartment in his house. I called him the other day, and he told me it's only like 150 sq. ft. Yikes!!! I had been really excited about it because it seemed like a perfect place for me, being in a house with a family in a nice neighbourhood. But the size! I may go stir crazy in a week. I'll have to see it before I can decide if it's suitable. The other problem is that it's not furnished. My second choice is a furnished bachelor apartment over on the Dartmouth side. The building caters to people like me on long assignments from a company etc. I had thought it might not be perfect for me as I'd be living in a building with a lot of "transient" people, which might not be the best environment for a single woman on her own. But I'm going to go see it and we'll see how it looks.

The current apartment is slowly getting into shape for viewing too. I figure I'll give myself through this weekend to finish and then give my notice on Monday. Then they can bring anyone they want through when I'm not here so they can rent it out.

I'll be glad when this is all done and I'm settled in Halifax.