Somehow I managed to ignore the social media pressure lately. I didn’t feel like updating my professional Instagram – or my personal one for that matter. And although I did think ‘oh, I should really post something’ and ‘it looks like I am not doing anything’ every now and then, I just couldn’t be bothered. Same goes for this blog, lots of things are happening, big changes are coming. But I couldn’t get myself to sit down and write.
And maybe that’s a good thing: realizing I don’t nééd to be visible all the time, post something when I wánt to and not when I think I should. The main thing to keep in mind is that I am doing all of it for me. So if I don’t feel like it, I don’t.
[suddenly remembers she had ‘updating portfolio website’ on her to-do list since January…]
Anyway, here I am. So I guess I finally feel like it. Lots to tell, let’s start with the biggest news: we are moving house! We are staying in – or is it on – Sardegna, but we will move to a town up north, close to Bosa. It’s a little inland and totally different from this seaside town with all the beaches around the corner. But why!? A few reasons: we want something a bit more permanent, we would like some (mainly storage) space and a vegetable garden has been on my wish list forever. The lease of our current apartment is ending and it doesn’t seem to be heading towards anything long term. It made us think: even if we could sign for four more years in this apartment, do we really want to stay? The answer was clear: yes to Calasetta, no to the apartment. So first thing we did was see if we could find something better (with a garden!) close to where we live now. It became clear soon enough that this town/area is very tourist oriented and the prices (and availability) correspond to that. We simply can’t afford to upgrade here and we don’t want another temporary solution.
So we broadened our search and found that houses a little more inland were sooo much bigger with gardens and long term rental contracts for a reasonable price. We’ve contacted a few of the owners and went to have a look at a big house with a garden up north. We rented a car, booked a cute apartment in Bosa for a few days and made it a mini holiday. That Saturday a bunch of lovely people showed us around the house and we knew right away. This was going to be our palace – for at least the next four years and maybe forever. So much space: I can have a big studio ánd an office. And a cinema room and a guest room and then some more rooms. And best of all: a big garden – with fruit trees!
So we sealed the deal, I designed a moving card, we told our current land lord we are leaving and started packing boxes. It’s only 3 weeks before we can collect the keys and the moving truck will come 10 days later. Maybe we got a little too excited with the boxes already… but I actually like seeing that stuff is happening! Progress! In the meantime we have dreamt up our new kitchen and ordered stuff for it (everything but the oven and the fridge is standing in our bedroom now…). The house is completely empty – except for a bathroom – so we get to choose our own kitchen with all brand new appliances – hallelujah! M arranged for a moving company to move our stuff and then we had to arrange something to move ourselves…
… a car. We both have never owned a car in our lives. I have had my drivers license for 18 years and I’ve always managed perfectly fine without a car (which is quite easy in The Netherlands). And even here we could do without – sure, you don’t get everywhere and grocery shopping 13 kilometers away by bike isn’t always convenient and we are always the strange olandesi on our bikes. But we kind of took pride in managing anyway. But it was time, after renting a car a couple of times the upside became really clear. So we went and bought ourselves a cute little Fiat Panda.
Knowing we were able to move from The Netherlands to Sardegna, moving within Sardegna feels easy. And I think we’re ahead of the game. Water and electricity is arranged for the new house. We have an appointment with the moving company, I figured out how to change addresses with the municipality (online! OMG), where to get internet etc. Our Pandina will be ready for us next week and with that hopefully also all that goes with owning a car (insurance, road assistance, taxes…don’t get me started)
And then I haven’t told you anything about our month long visit to The Netherlands – for the first time in 15 months – and trips to Milano, Brugge, Bologna, Firenze and Roma. I’ll save it for next time… although I think a little house project will come first.
