Moving

We did it!

The previous week, Isaac and I packed up quite a bit of stuff that we did not want the movers to handle, like small electronics, valuables and underwear. During this process, I learned to my delight that Isaac and I have the same packing style - painfully meticulous. There was this moment of recognition: I was taping a bag of half-empty pasta closed and he was folding and refolding a briefcase strap he rarely uses. Our television and plants and clothes had yet to be considered, for both of us were sidetracked by less important details.

On Moving Day's Eve, we carried two loads to our new apartment. It's a brisk 10 minute walk when you're weighed down by luggage but still eager to escape the 20 degree night.

Friday morning the movers showed up around 8:15 in the morning and went to work. They used baskets and moving blankets to wrap up and secure all of our stuff while we just kind of stood around watching and worrying.

Once packed, they shifted everything to the landing outside of our apartment. The next step, moving all of our stuff from the twelfth floor to ground level, I was a little excited about. The moving truck has a special arm with a platform on the end that stretches up to our floor and then raises and lowers its cargo. It's a sound I've grown familiar to, hearing different residents move into the buildings nearby, the long metallic sliding as it the empty platform falls down to reload.

I think this moving system is pretty neat and efficient. Probably because it is just never something I considered before moving to a big city - how to best move in and out of high apartments.

The weather was sunny and below freezing, so the whole time I was super concerned about this huge orchid we have that originally belonged to Isaac's grandmother. I kept trying to guard it and keep the movers from bumping it and leaving it outside.

After a final walk through and farewell, we reluctantly met the realtor to finalize our move out, then trudged up the road to our new place, a little less excited about the unpacking process.

This part felt the most tedious, I just wanted to kick the movers out and do it all myself. We were getting pretty hungry by this point too since it was now lunchtime, maybe that's why I felt grouchy. Finally the movers left and we were able to start rearranging things and settling in. Since the apartment is basically the same layout as before, just putting things back in their place made it look and feel so much more homey.

We grabbed a quick lunch at one of the bunshik restaurants close by. Bunshik literally means minute food so it's basically like Korean fast food or street food. I shared before about this kind of food which we ate at a market. Something about the weather being cold has us both craving bunshik more and more. Especially the fishcake on skewers in the first picture below. It's always served in a steaming hot salty broth which is just perfect for warming up during the winter. All of this food cost 10,000 won, or $8.25.

Of course, the views outside of our windows have changed. Our living room has the floor to ceilings windows once again, and we now see the almost endless towers of other apartment buildings. We try to make sure to close the blinds at night now in order to avoid giving any of our new neighbors a show.

Below is a shot out the windows on the other side, where our office, kitchen and washing machine are. This is the side that Isaac loves to hate because he can see his office, I have no clue which building it is. I think it's quite nice, even has some mountains in the background there.

Afternoon snow showers this Wednesday and Thursday helped make our new place seem more dreamy, not to mention inviting after tromping through the wet snow. Here's a panorama shot as the snow was falling.

And this is our apartment building (on the right) from the street corner. Then a view of the same street corner looking down from our balcony.

Our company/mountain view once more.

So I suppose everything is settled in once more. We happened to walk by our old apartment building this weekend just as the new residents were moving in. The tall arm of the moving truck was stretched up to the 12th floor again. It made us a little sad. That place was our first home together as a married couple, and where I met my first friends here, our old neighbors.

But our new place is growing on us. The heated floors work better, I'm not sure why, but the difference is quite noticeable. We are able to feel the heat beneath our feet and it does not make the air as dry as our previous place. The sun also rises up outside of our living room windows, so it is a treat to be able to see that each day. A new year and a new home. I hope your new year is off to a solid start too!