Camping in an empty house

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It was 10pm when I arrived at my near-to-empty flat. Taking out the crispy white sheet I brought from the hall, I laid it on the bare mattress, and put a wool blanket throw over it. And that’s it, my bed for the night.

Before lights out, let me rewind the clock and tell you how this came about…

My landlord has organised housekeepers to clean up the flat before we move in. Of course, we appreciated the free cleaning service. But here’s the catch, she wasn’t able to tell me when the cleaners were coming.

Having worked in housekeeping, I know some colleagues like to go in to work early, like when the sun rises. Someone needed to open the door for them, and that had to be me 🙂 as I’m the only tenant left in Dunedin.

So I had to decide – do I want to wake up at 4am and head to the flat, not knowing if it’s worth this early; or should I stay the night, so when the cleaners arrive, I can simply wake up and get the door. You know it, I chose the latter.

I hadn’t thought of this until dinner, so I had to take haste in packing for the one-night stay. Turns out there’s a hefty amount of stuff I need… pillow, blanket, mattress cover, and just in case I’m bored, my yarns and crochet hook. Seeing the things I need to carry, I stuffed them into my tramping bag XD Not gonna lie, I was glad that I’m heading there in the dark, as carrying that load looked like I was going on a long outdoor trip.

Luckily, I got there safely and made myself at home. The mattress was very soft and comfortable. This bed was a queen so there’s ample space for me to roll around until drowsiness kicked in. It got chilly in the middle of the night, and I wished I brought another blanket, but I curled up into a ball like a rabbit and it worked out fine. Winter temperature would go lower than this, so it was good that I had a thick duvet, didn’t bring this with me tonight though. The flat also had a stink smell that irritated me a little, probably from the fridges, when the previous tenants left it open but closed all the windows in the flat (for security) so the stale odor was trapped inside the house. I threw my blanket over my head and snuggled up, barricading the smell.

I made it through the night without much hiccups. On the plus side, the train chuckling sounds that occasionally runs next to my flat wasn’t too loud! I was glad that I can take it as a white noise. Also, I aired out the house the next morning, and bought a diffuser that now sits in the middle of the room. Wow, so THIS IS WHAT LIFE FEELS LIKE! I love it.

The housekeepers turned up at 11am, much later than I expected but I woke up at 10 (LOL) so that’s fine. They were a cheerful couple and did the job fairly well! Saved my time wiping down the fridge and cupboards.

I camped at my flat for a night, and I’m looking forward to living in it. Hopefully all goes well on house move day. Only two days to go!

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