Three Weeks

Believe it or not we have only been gone 3 weeks, although we keep commenting that it feels like 3 months. This weekend was very low key as we received the keys to our new apartment and spent the weekend preparing for the big move-in. In Germany it is common for apartments to exclude closets and kitchens (I’m talking fixtures such as sinks/refrigerators). We are lucky to have a kitchen but we have no storage space in the apartment aside from a small room in the cellar of the building. As such, we trekked where I swore I would never trek again, the Mecca of fiberboard and my old friend – IKEA. Yes folks, they have IKEA in Germany and it is set up just like at home except they only accept cash and the food is WAY better. I should know, we spent 3 hours there today.

I really thought I was done with IKEA furniture and everything that comes with it: picking up the wrong boxes in the self service section, putting the furniture together with those awful instructions that are practically illustrated with crayon, losing that little tool that comes with everything mid-assembly, bumps, bruises, tears, cardboard boxes….ah! (I’d like to give a special shout out to my UD roomies and the 20 pieces of IKEA furniture we assembled in August 2000). I guess we’re growing up because we are paying to have it delivered and assembled. You see, we didn’t just purchase a closet, we purchased a closet system. Two looks at it and Shaun and I knew we’d kill each other if we tried to put it together. So now we anxiously await its arrival.