I'm tired

I'm tired. The idea of moving downtown has been very exciting. But like with many changes, it's been work. Moving is generally a lot of work. Of course, the less one owns, the easier it is to coordinate everything. But it's still somewhat stressful.

For instance, the condo owner didn't get all of the work done before I got the keys. I find that a little upsetting. Especially since he was planning on renting out the unit for August 1st and I asked him to hold it until September 1st. So he had an extra month to get things done. And yet, here we are, a week after I got the keys and I was still running after him to get things finalized. They're not major issues mind you, but nevertheless, he didn't respect his part of the contract to have the work completed before I took possession of the rental unit.

The condo was built in the 80s. It's old. For the past decade, we've been living in new constructions. We haven't needed to compromise much on the condition of our homes. We must with the condo. So that will be an adjustment. My daughter hasn't been very happy with some of these conditions. Although I'm not exactly pleased with them either, I've been in older homes and similar conditions before. The adjustment for me won't be as difficult. I expect it will be good for her in the long run. But for now there's frustration, anxiety, and a lot of cleaning.

Then there's coordinating everything with my mom's move and my daughter's back to school. My mom doesn't drive. She's never had a license so she depends on me to help her run her errands. For the most part I don't mind helping her out, but sometimes it means that I have to rearrange my schedule. As for my daughter's back to school, I had to get her set up with school supplies.

I don't mean to complain. I just don't want anyone to think that pursuing a minimalist lifestyle, or any lifestyle for that matter, is all sunshine and lollipops. I'm pursuing minimalism for many reasons. I want a calmer, simpler, more meaningful life. It doesn't happen over night. At least, that's not been my experience. Sometimes I get moments of doubt and wonder if I've made the right decision (not about minimalism, but some of the decisions surrounding it). These moments don't last very long. I think that once the dust settles from this stressful point in the process, things will be closer to what I'm aiming for. But in the meantime, I'm tired.

*******
 
When I wrote the above part, it was late Friday afternoon and I had had a couple of minor disappointments concerning the condo. My awesome friend Christy unsuccessfully tried to cheer me up. She's right that the issues with the condo are somewhat minor and if I end up leading the lifestyle I've been talking about, we won't be spending that much time at home. However, I was too worried to really listen to reason.

In the evening, I met up with Dr. T at the condo to show him my new place. I told him about some of my frustrations. Well thankfully he was able to resolve one issue that my landlord and the building superintendent couldn't fix - my daughter's bedroom door. He didn't have all the exact right tools, but he made due with what he had in the toolbox he kept in his truck.

We then walked over to a local pub and I bought him a drink to thank him for saving the day. After that we went for a long walk exploring downtown. It just so happens that he used to live in the neighbourhood where I'm moving to. By the time the evening was over, I was back to feeling happy about moving downtown.

My daughter's thrilled to have a properly functioning bedroom door. Just that appeased her anxiety significantly, which in turn relieved some of my stress. Sure things won't be perfect, but most things aren't. Nevertheless, I think the experience of living downtown in this condo will be good for both of us. 

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