ONE MORE STEP

Okay, so I kind of passed that point a long time ago... But I've had a new milestone this week (and I just wanted an excuse to use this quote): I am now OFFICIALLY moved in. I know it probably isn't that big of a deal for all of you. But although I'd taken most of my clothes out and put them in some drawers, nothing was super organized and I was still living out of my suitcase. My room, even when organized, looked a little chaotic with 2 suitcases lying around and piles of shoes books around them. As of Thursday, I've re-organized my drawers, started utilizing the closets, put my books in the book space under my nightstand and hid the suitcases in the closet. When I first got here, I didn't bother fully unpacking because I thought, "It isn't like I'm going to be here very long. I can handle living out of my suitcase for a little while." But now that I'm settled and gotten used to living here, I realized that that was silly and was just a symbol of how a piece of me was holding on to things back home. 

That being said, this week was also a week of looking back. My Granda and Gram celebrate 60 years together last week (Thursday) and I was really disappointed that I couldn't be there with two people who I love and respect so deeply. I talked previously about how we don't think of how it will feel when we move somewhere and the food, trees, flowers, speech is different than we are used to, and we don't always think to prepare for these things, because we are worrying about customs/immigration, money, electrical, weather, time, etc. This week, I considered how I didn't really think of what it would be like missing out on certain things back home. My sister turned 19 and my mum and dad and 3 friends are all celebrating their birthdays while I am away. I will also miss Thanksgiving with my family and the ever-increasing-in-length preparation and excitement leading up to Christmas (yes, Cara and I have already had a few conversations regarding decorations and gifts). These are all things I really enjoy and didn't anticipate missing. While I accept this (and am interested in how Kiwis prepare for Christmas), it's just one more thing that I would advise people who are considering moving to a new country to consider.