1) We ran out of internet. Yes, that is a thing here in Iqaluit. JJ and I regularly play an online video game called World of Warcraft. The game came out with a patch that we had to install in order to continue playing. We did not realize installing said patch would consume all of our remaining internet for the month. With our internet all but gone, I am unable to upload photos to the blog. In an odd way, this was a perfect time for this to happen. We will be in Ottawa this coming Sunday, and I will have all the free internet I can use. So, it isn't as though there are no more posts coming. You'll all just have to wait a few more days while I frantically work on those posts from hotel rooms. After all, I need to fill you in on what has been happening our last week here. Which brings us to my second point:
2) Organizing this move was way more work than I thought it would be. Yes, it was our second time moving in a year so we should know what we are doing. And you would think, that since we didn't bring up everything we own, and because we have hired a company to move our belongings back to Ontario, that the final week here would be relatively stress-free. Also, we have donated all the clothing the kids have outgrown and not replaced it as the year has gone by, so we actually own fewer things than we came up with.
That said, we moved into someone else's house. With someone else's stuff in it. While it is very easy for me to know what is ours and what isn't, it would unrealistic to expect this of the packers. So for the past week we have designated rooms as "off limits" for the packers/movers, and tried to move as much of the homeowner's belongings in these rooms as possible. Over the past year we have simply lived in the house, using the TV remote control without any thought of it not actually belonging to us. Same things with my slow cookers, the home owner's casserole dishes, my kids' water bottles, etc. We don't want the packers or movers to pack the homeowner's things, as it would be a real pain in the butt for them to come home to, say, no coat hangers. Or missing artwork. Separating everything has been very, very time consuming.
Also, we've been told it may take as long as 6 weeks for our belongings to arrive in Thunder Bay. This means we need to fill our luggage with items we will need for the rest of summer (bathing suits, shorts, sandals), but also for the beginning of fall (back to school clothes, rain boots, warm coats, etc.). Throw in packing for two cats and a dog (a small enough litter box to put in a suitcase, along with food, litter, etc.). The kids had to decide which toys to put in luggage to take on the plane with us, and which toys they can handle not seeing for 6 weeks. This made for some very tough decisions for them.
To further add to the stress of moving, I have had to contend with the fact that on our move up here, the moving company lost three of our boxes. They just vanished into thin air. The same thing has happened to several friends during Iqaluit moves. So I have had to decide which things we need to have with us for the six weeks, which things can travel on the moving van to Thunder Bay, and which things I am absolutely not OK with NEVER SEEING AGAIN. I have a suitcase I have called my "essentials" bag. It contains things that I consider not-replaceable: CJS's hockey trophy and ribbons. Many of our sealskin items, which would be impossible to replace. My new parka from Victoria's Arctic Fashion. Inuit carvings from Arctic Bay.
Today, the packers are here. Despite the "do not pack this" stickies I have put on the floor lamps, the hockey bag, etc., I am hanging around supervising. In true Iqaluit style, the moving company ran out of wardrobe boxes (for packing things in the closet). In fact, boxes in general seem to be in short supply. I will enjoy filling you all in once I have unlimited internet. Wish me luck! For now, I have used the last dying breath of our internet to upload this photo that JJ took last night:
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| The sun is setting on our time in Iqaluit. Sunset here takes, like, 3 hours. So...........its like a long goodbye. |
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