We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Happy Ending

 The day we came to look at our new place and set a date a few days hence to start moving in, we were happy, but cautious. After the experience with Dick2, we knew we had to wait to see the lease before we got too excited. We had a strange weekend as we waited for Monday to arrive. When it did, we each packed our big backpacks and caught the bus, asking to be dropped off at the office. The lease was what we were used to—it laid out responsibilities on both sides without being hostile. It was just a few pages. We signed and got the keys. The letting agent said he would drive us to the flat. He came in and did a video of the place and its contents. Before he left, he repeated what he’d said when we viewed it—that they wanted a nice, quiet, friendly situation for everybody. We unpacked the few things we’d bought, had a cuppa, and basked in our happiness and relief about how things had turned out. 

A couple hours later, there was a knock on the door. It was the owner coming to introduce himself. He came in and showed us how things work. I mentioned the issues with the place we were leaving and he said, ‘Oh no, you won’t have any of that here. No weeping walls! The whole place is insulated.’ Then he proceeded to tap on the walls and around the windows. He said the attic is insulated, too. It’s a very warm flat, he said and used his son as an example. He is our neighbour and ‘uses his computer for heat.’ The landlord tapped the storage heater and said his son has not yet ever turned his on. He seemed really nice and we like him, too, as we do the letting agent who manages the place. When we were looking for the place to plug in the router, we discovered a wall plate that was broken in a neighbouring plug behind a piece of furniture. Bill took a photo to show that it was like that when we got here and sent it to the letting agent. Within two days the owner was here to fix it. He stayed a while and we had a nice chat. Before he left he said he hoped we’d be happy here and that they wanted a nice, quiet, friendly situation for everyone. The fact that this eas repeated so often makes me think they’ve had some issues in the past. I can only imagine.

So we settle in. The other day, we finally walked down to the beach again. We hadn’t been there since the day we came to view the flat, even though it’s just down the lane—a 7 or 8 minute walk from our door. 

When I was walking on the beach and turned around, there was Mt Errigal with some clouds covering her conical top. Beautiful.

We’re slowly finding our way into a new routine and exploring our new location. We’re both sleeping better than we have for months. It all feels really good!

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