March-April 2021
Flat hunting, we saw horrible place after horrible place, each one depressing, or ridiculously expensive. As the days counted down (we had only been given a month and a half notice) we became more and more worried we were going to end up in something truly awful.
But then one afternoon, Ben went and viewed a flat that I couldn't even get time off work to see, and he said it was the one.
Without me even seeing it, we signed the year lease.
We were moving! I was very sad to say goodbye to our little flat, especially the cosy kitchen pictured below (goodbye underfloor heating!)
Our new flat was in Hobsonville, a neighbourhood that had a much more walkable and community feel to it. The living room was twice the size, and it was actually a house rather than an apartment.
The kitchen had a gas stove, so I was instantly sold.
And best of all, it had outdoor space! A sun-drenched area to put our table and chairs and make the most of summer.
The vegetable planter was bare and dead, leaving me a blank slate to work with. I had exactly zero gardening experience but I was excited to get stuck in. I planted my herbs and hoped for the best.
Hobsonville was an awesome neighbourhood for a wander, with a walk along the water, a cafe by the wharf, a parkrun in the park every Saturday, it was everything Albany was not - a community.
Also a local tree had a tea cosy knitted onto it which is just adorable.
Commuting to work was a bit more annoying, but there was a ferry to pop into Auckland, and a bus from Constellation station, a 15 minute drive away.
I loved getting into the city in time to see the sunrise, but once we went back into lockdown, it was nice to work from home and not need to get up quite so early.
