Great Expectasia: Moving in

Our house was packed up for shipping the third week of July. They took our beds, kitchen stuff and some random furniture. We figured we wouldn't have space for a dining table, a huge couch and many places had built-ins, so we didn't bring dressers. Stuff was supposed to go on a boat the first week of August. It left 9th of Sept.

We needed a place to stay when we got here, without all of our stuff, so Matt's company (some third party, actually) kept sending us these 2-bedroom serviced apartments that are about a 45 min tube ride away from the school. Nope. Not gonna work. I looked at air bnb every night, for within a mile to American School in London. ONE day our air bnb popped up. It was SO much cheaper than other options. I figured it must be fake, but we booked it and prayed. We could get it until 3 Oct. We asked a few times if we could extend, and they said no.

MAGICALLY, our stuff made it to the UK on the 24th of September. It cleared customs early the next week, and it is getting delivered tomorrow and Tuesday! We aren't sure if we will be able to sleep in our beds and find sheets, pillows, etc. tomorrow, so we do have one night in a hotel, but by Tuesday evening we should be good to go (just in time for Kol Nidre!).

We have been slowly moving into our new place. We got the keys on Wed. Kids and I went over that day. I set up the internet. Thursday we had some delivery of Amazon items (I pushed PURCHASE when I saw that prices were about to skyrocket - go UK economy...), so I spent a bunch of hours there. Saturday after Koby's soccer game, we all went over and brought ALL of our stuff that we don't need for the next three days in two UberXLs. We unpacked and had a few other items delivered. Spent many hours there before heading to the Michigan game (go blue!). Today we went back, as we brought a piano we bought (electronic keyboard with weighted keys - an ASL family was replacing it with a real piano), I did a huge grocery shop and we got our first IKEA delivery.

As I mentioned before, we had SLIM PICKIN'S. There was almost nothing livable. But it turns out, I think we done good. Our landlord seems super nice. It's part of a mews row (I don't know what it's called), so it's on an alley with about 10-12 other neighbors, and we have met a bunch, and they're SO SO nice! Many have come out to say hi. Turns out half the block is Jewish (?? who knew!?), and genuinely they just seem so nice. When we looked at the place I accosted some guy coming out of the street to ask where he does his grocery shopping and if it's a great neighborhood. He was so friendly, loves it and said he hoped we moved in. Another lady stopped us on the street to ask about Sam's violin, and she said, "you will absolutely love this neighborhood. It's so civilized." (I told my kids that means they have to stop singing songs about penises - loudly - on the street. And also quiet burps). So far, we are really happy. It's ONE ROOM too small, but I think we will be ok.

The entrance to our little street is just after the beautiful tree

Our unit is the second one - with the darker windows and no white eyebrows

Entrance to the little street

This is our little mews house street. Used to be where the rich people of Belsize Park kept their horses and carriages. There's an old pic of it from MANY years ago in the place - I'll post that too. So so old and cool.

This is the outside of our place. Can see the garage, door, and then above the garage is the kitchen, french doors that open but you can't go out, and the other window is in the stairway

Above that is our bedroom

Super cool door!

Walking in, there are stairs to the right, a powder room, and if you go straight you go into the guest bedroom, and Sam's room on the left, after the entrance from the garage.