22nd September 2010

So this is a post i wrote a little while ago but didnt get a chance to put up... 

So Jess and I have finally moved into our new home, It took us about 4 different trips to actually get all of our stuff across, not exactly sure how we fitted it all in her car when we first got here! I think I have already accumulated quite abit of stuff and I have only been here over a month!

Today we had a lovely day, got up finished most of our packing and then headed into town for abit of lunch. We have come to realise that Lille, like every town in Lille completely shuts down on a Sunday, the only things that are open being restaurants and then the trusty McDo! So we finally made it to my favourite restaurant from when I had visited with Josh La Créperie just off the Grand Place! I was slightly concerned that it wouldn’t live up to expectations as I had been going on about it ever since we first arrived. However I can safely say that it did not disappoint! Jess and I both had the same meal and it was amazing, beautifully presented and so yummy! Definitely a must visit for anyone coming to Lille! After our lunch  went for a wander around Vieux Lille as we felt that we had not fully appreciated it, jess brought her massive camera and took some arty shots and I had my trusty little canon. We timed leaving perfectly as after being in the car for less that 5 minutes we were subjected to a hail storm of mammoth proportions was the oddest thing and made such a racket on the car!

On returning to the MAJT we put the last of our stuff into the KA and came over to our new apartment, im currently typing out this entry into word as we don’t have internet yet, even with our attempts to hack into our neighbours wifi.

Our new home is really starting to take shape and I can really imagine us living here now. Our huge built in wardrobes have been a life saver as we both have a huge amount of clothes! 

Ok so i dont think i am that great at this whole blog thing, i just keep forgetting... and my internet in the dreaded MAJT has been so unreliable when i do write i lose it...bloody nightmare

Anyway this week has been a good one, Jess and I have finally found somewhere to live, not too far from where we are now but on a much nicer street. Its a F3 appartement, meaning there are two bedrooms and a separate lounge, the only flaw being that it is not furnished! But it is still a lovely space with large built in wardrobes and plenty of room for us both. A quick trip to IKEA not only provided us with mattresses, bed side tables and other accessories but also a quick trip to the cafe where we were given our food half price- dont ask me how we managed it, its a mystery to us all!!!!

So we went to our new home again today to move across loads of our stuff and we are thinking that one more trip over in Jess's KA should do the trick, the landlord has been really helpfull and has even said he will drive to Ikea and pick us up our bed frames as they are too large for Jess's car! 

So we have one more day tomorrow before im homeward bound! I managed to get internet sorted yesterday- well not sorted but the engineer is booked and the package has been agreed, we just need to sort out paying for our electricity and gas bills and have to take out insurance- its gona be a busy day on monday i think! 

La vie commence

So i planned to write a blog to catalogue the events of my year abroad but i never got round to starting it this summer and i got to the point where i felt that i would simply be jumping on the blog bandwagon if i started one now but then thought what the hell. I wana be able to look back on my year abroad and remember it properly! 

So i would love to say my move abroad has been an easy transition and completley stress free. However as much fun as i have had there has been many a stressfull situation. 

My trip began with being introduced to another girl who was doing the same thing as me. Our responsable put us in touch with each other and when she offered to drive me over with her it was like a huge weight had been lifted, knowing that i would not be going totally alone meant that i started to relax and think positively about my "big move." Our friendship began with our mission to squeeze in all of our suitcases into Jess's KA, a slightly, easier task than we had first thought and then we were off. Arriving at Dover and boarding the delayed ferry meant that our arrival date was pushed back and we were concerned that Jess was going to have to drive the whole way in the dark. However in the end everything worked brilliantly, Jess was amazing, i couldnt believe how calm she was, i know how scared i would be if i had to drive on the other side of the road, i mean i get myself stressed driving around Reading in rush hour! 

Soooo... The weeks since we arrived on that first day feel like they have flown by.. I am starting to really love Lille and although i sitll dont have a permanent residence i feel that Lille is turning into a place i could really call home. We have been staying in a foyer near to Porte d'arras- appartently one of the more dodgy areas in town, we have had middle aged french men offering us 500 euros to "spend the weekend with them" aswell as living in a place full of unemployed youths who enjoy playing hardcore french rap all hours of the day! So needless to say we are not loving our situation right now we are getting to the point where anywhere would be better than here especially as the internet here is the biggest joke! It signs me out every 5 seconds and I cant do anything without having to disconnect and reconnect! The good news though is that we have two viewings this week both for apartments in the centre which aren’t furnished but we have started researching how much it would really cost to furnish a place and we are really considering it, im so desperate to have a place I can truly call me own that I really don’t care anymore! So we wait and hope and see what tomorrow brings, maybe for once we will get some good news…