1. can't get out of the house!
Oh, how happy I am that January's over. I've been sick ever since Christmas up until two weeks ago. It was the total of over a month spent between work and bed. I got a terrible cold which I couldn't get rid off of for soooo long it made me crazy. Mostly, I missed the long walks Joe and I love, oh, and the sunshine! Not cool being sick for this long, I tell you.
Fortunately, I'm good now, and this last weekend was finally one of those I love - long downtown walk, ice cream and cake at a bakery, warm coffee, even a little bit of sunshine in this cold winter weather.
2. quick business trip up north
Just as I was finally getting better health-wise, my boss asked if I were interested in going on a business trip which was already scheduled for him, but he eventually couldn't go. Of course I said Yes, please! Funny thing though - this was to be my second business trip within 2 months and both of those had a final destination in Sweden. Where I've never been before and now it's been 2 visits in 2 months:)
The trip was short but very interesting and I'm already hoping to visit Sweden again.
3. buying homes... or at least one
This all started a YEAR ago. Joe and I were ready to give up renting and get a place of our own. We already built couple months worth of work history since our relocation to Europe, necessary for mortgage application, we had decent income and good savings for downpayment, all we needed was a house. Here's where the problems started.
We live in the Capital, meaning houses are WAY too expensive here, and we didn't really want to go into an apartment. So the decision was to go further out of the city and find a house within our budget and within a 30 minute drive from downtown. Many read listings and visited houses later we found a smaller developer project about 35 minutes out of downtown that we liked. The problem was - it was a project, the house wasn't built yet. It was a project for an entire new street of single-family houses with an estimated schedule, according to which we could live in the house in January 2019 (yes, that's last month). And yet, I'm still typing this from our teeny-tiny apartment in the city. The schedule's been shifting in the wrong directions couple times already and now we're hoping to move in by the end of July :(
On one hand, it is great to get into the process while the house is only on paper. We were able to change the layout to meet all our needs and we're really loving how it looks now in reality. On the other hand, there are processes that are completely out of our control - like new electrical wires for the new street, being done by the power company. Boy, they have time for everything!! We were told it was already done and it just needs final inspection, however we don't know the date of that. Then, only after that final inspection, the house can get inspected and we'll finally receive the Good to go to move in.
In my most positive dreams, I'm really hoping this could be soon, but I'm giving myself somewhat more realistic deadline of July. Until then, we're picking and installing floors, tiles, browsing furniture stores, and choosing how we're going to furnish our very first own home. Fortunately, buying furniture with Joe is fun!
4. book for long winter evenings
Actually, this book is not so good for long winter evenings - meaning I couldn't put it down and kept reading for 2 straight days and then was I was done and quickly needed another book :)
But anyway, this book is wonderful. This was the second time I read it and I'm sure I'll get back to it again in the future. It's about Jennifer's journey of finding God and the Church, and about all the struggles she and her husband faced while starting their family. It has it all - first it's about many questions people have in their lives when searching for the right job, struggling with money, health issues, and raising a young family. But mostly it's about slowly finding answers to all these through finding God.
Jennifer has a really great way of writing, so hilarious and catching! I just ordered her other book One Beautiful Dream and can't wait to read that one as well.
