Day zero

Wednesday December 21

Maja:

I can’t believe we’re almost in London. I can’t believe it. That’s the thought that keeps running through my mind as I continue to drive. The Welsh country roads soon change to the motorways of England as we continue the journey. I’m so tired it hurts, but I don’t want to stop. Every minute at a parking lot is a minute that we could spend in our new apartment. The scenery changes and we finally stop for a quick bite at a rest stop not far from London. I stumble out of the car, and for the first time since Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, I’m able to stretch my legs for a bit. Mind you, that means stumbling from the car to the restroom, trying my best to walk straight so as to not show Mark just how dizzy and exhausted I am. I end up lying down on the bench in between families of screaming children as I wait for Mark to order us dinner. The glamorous life on the road. The world is moving, and it’s not strange since I’ve been in transit for so long. It’s 7 pm by the time we get back in the car after our short break. One hour to go. Only one more hour.

The city is getting closer, is all I can think of as all the signs come by one at a time. First the warnings about the ULEZ zone and then the scenery is starting to change. I can see the city lights! ‘Mark, Mark, Mark! Look! It’s London!’. Yes, I speak like that. For real. All the time.

All of a sudden we’re in the middle of the city. Or as what I consider to be the middle of the city. It’s a place I actually recognise and know very well myself. We’ve magically ended up in Archway and we’re driving towards the best view of the city that I’ve ever seen from the car. Now we’re passing under that bridge me and Mark stood at during lockdown when we were taking a walk to pick up some plates. Can you believe that? I actually know where we are. In London. I can’t believe that. You can see the red lights giving a strong contrast to the night sky. The London night skyline. It’s stunning, and only for a moment I’m able to enjoy that view I’ve missed for years now. Or what is it, almost two years to be exact. But the moment is short and I can’t stop the car so we continue along, crossing Archway which I remember so well. I wish I had time to stop and walk around, because I’ve missed it so dearly. But we still have a long way to go. I can’t believe how much further we still have to go. Straight towards the tall buildings. I thought Archway was central! But we continue along, the roads are smaller and I have to focus as I navigate us safely to our new home. We drive by a lot of famous places I don’t know yet, and some I do. And after a while, we arrive in Shoreditch. This is so central it’s a part of the congestion charge zone, and my first reaction is how prominent the nightlife is. It feels almost scary. A bit daunting. I’ve never really lived centrally in a city before. It’s always been in the suburbs, or smaller towns. Never totally in the city. In the Capital of Europe, London. One of the coolest cities of the world, and now I am in the coolest part of that city. I can’t believe it. 

I navigate to a little side street, park the car temporarily and leave Mark there as I run to a place to collect our keys from the guardian. I’m a bit confused as to where that guardian is, I have to call him up and ask because even though I’m outside the building I can’t figure out which building. He comes out and greets me outside and I follow him into the reception of some place that just looks strange. It looks like a building site, but maybe more like how I imagine a movie set. It’s temporary but seems in use and a lot of like fabric hanging making the corridors look strange to me. But I don’t get to go further inside than the entryway where I’m handed the keys and then sign some papers. I try to ask some questions but the guardian doesn’t know anything so I just leave. I’ve got the keys. And have had an absurd experience. I guess that’s Shoreditch for you. I go back to the car. ‘Hey Mark! We got the keys!’ Cue hugs and kisses and loud cheers, and we’re off again. The last hundred meters or so down small roads. I’m able to park the car just outside the apartment and we see we’re on the first floor. Which is something to be very grateful for when you’re moving. The road we’re on is quiet. It’s a cul de sac, so no cars around and I can’t hear the city at all. Which is amazing, for being this central. We stumble into the empty, unfurnished apartment, to check it out before we start unpacking. Can you believe we live here now? I can’t. I. Just. Can’t. 

My little tiny Toyota is filled until bursting. I can’t believe we managed to get all we got into it. Six guitars. PA system. Vinyl collection. Clothes. Computers. And a few things we forgot to put into storage in Dublin; The seat part of the drumchair for example. And yesterday as Mark was cleaning the house, I was putting the seats apart to press clothes in under them. You know the space under the seats. That’s a perfect place for our spice collection. The spare tire. Oh, let’s fill that area with guitar leads. Great! 

And now in the matter of minutes we take each and every item out and dump everything on the floor. Thank you car, you did great once again. 

As we lock the car and go back into the apartment there’s only one thing left to do. We blow up the airbed, put the sheets and duvet on and fall into it. I can’t believe it. 

‘Mark. We made it.’

And we fall fast asleep until morning.