The First Two Weeks

The last two weeks really have felt as if they've gone by so slowly! Part of me still can't really believe I've been in my own home for a whole fortnight, while the other part of me feels as though I've always been here.

I'm so grateful that this place is already beginning to feel like home. As can be seen by my last couple of posts, the process of moving in really was such an unexpected whirlwind. This means that things aren't perfect - our little home isn't impeccably furnished and no, not everything matches or fits to some Pinterest-worthy theme, but I love it all the same! The smell in my room is finally changing from fresh paint to the scent of my Mango and Peach candle, I've gotten used to the whir that our tumble dryer makes, I've learnt just how long it takes for the water to get hot once we've turned our geyser on and little by little, day by day, this place is becoming my home. It's taken a little while to really find our feet, but Emma, my digs mate, and I have fallen into a happy little routine. We grocery shop and meal plan on Sundays. There we sit in our little lounge, making our food lists whilst sipping on our cups of tea. It all feels rather grown up and I can't tell you how much I'm loving it all. I feel so accomplished and happy with myself once I've stocked our fridge, done the dishes, folded the linen and mopped the floors. I never thought I'd enjoy tasks such as cleaning or taking out the rubbish (and I'm sure the novelty of it all will fade in time), but there's just something about doing it in my own home that gives me a sense of pride. I've always been a little home maker at heart, so really, I'm in my element.

I've always considered myself to be very worldly and aware of things around me. I've always been grateful for (and aware of) what my parents have provided for me and for what they've done for me and I'd like to believe that I have a pretty good idea of what life is all about. However, the last two weeks have taught me so much more than I could ever have imagined they would.

Here are a few things that the first two weeks of living on my own have taught me...

How to buy pre-paid electricity.
I've never had to worry about buying electricity or consider how this is actually done. I learnt this one pretty quickly and felt like quite the fool when I stared blankly at the lady behind the counter at Pick 'n Pay when she asked me for my meter number. A meter number? I hopped back into my car, drove all the way home and spent about 40 minutes rummaging through our rubbish before I finally located an old scrap of a till slip that the previous tenants has left for us that held our meter number. After much drama, we finally got our meter number and our precious electricity.

Shit is expensive, yo.
Woah. Having to buy my own groceries, cleaning products etc. etc. has really opened my eyes to just how expensive the cost of living is. I've definitely learnt the value of a dollar and my eyes have really been opened in this regard.

That R5 potato peeler isn't worth it.
My goodness, what a sorry little excuse for a potato peeler! Definitely time to go on a hunt for a more expensive one that will hopefully do it's job. I thought I was striking quite the deal when I picked that little guy up but apparently sometimes its just better to fork out a little more cash in order to get the quality you need.

Load shedding sucks.
Living on a farm back home means that we've always had a generator and so I've never been affected by load shedding. Up until last week that is. From 6pm to 8:30pm Emma and I sat on our little balcony in the complete dark, rather unsure what to do with ourselves.

The gas bottle needs to be connected in order for the gas stove to work.
I'm rather embarrassed by this one and would appreciate it if we could move swiftly along.

Buying toilet paper is a lot tougher than one would expect.
Just how many different brands of toilet paper does one shop need to stock? I've never been more conflicted in all my life - a little dramatic, but really now. I think I counted 12 different types in Pick 'n Pay the other day.

I really, really hate doing dishes. 
Need I say more? I now realise just how spoilt I've been to have grown up with not only a dishwasher, but three lovely ladies that have done more cleaning up after me than I previously realised. Very, very grateful for my sweet Happy, Florence and Thab-Thab back home.

I'm quite annoying with regards to little, insignificant things.
I live with my best friend, Emma and we do many things the same way, but we also have our own unique way of doing things. I never realised just how OCD I can be about some things such as the closing of kitchen cabinets or the packing away of coffee cups. I'm learning to embrace new ways of doing things and to compromise.

The last two weeks have been wonderful. Yes, we've had a couple of tough days and we've had to do a fair amount of adjusting, but life really is so good. Here's hoping the next two weeks are just as sweet!