[Miscellaneous] Moving sucks

This is the first in what will likely end up being a series of posts. Because lets face it, moving sucks. And this particular move doesn't look like it's going to have an end any time soon...

My last post was about my flat hunt in Coventry in preparation for my new job. That was my penultimate week in St Andrews. My last week in St Andrews involved a lot of driving up and down the UK, and actually not that much time in town!

Oh St Andrews, how I will miss thee. (Credit: David Brown)

After I got back from my flat hunting, I spent the weekend packing up the few remaining things in my flat and office in preparation for the move. There wasn't really a whole lot to do as I'd not really unpacked much, so I also enjoyed myself. It was a nice weekend, so I wandered around the town taking pictures, took the opportunity to walk on the Old Course (which is common ground on a Sunday), and went to see an ice hockey match in Dundee. Monday was then a good day, as my friend John at work had his Viva Voce, so we celebrated that.

The view from the 18th tee on the Old Course. Not a view I ever thought I'd get in daylight. (Credit: David Brown)

Tuesday I went to Cupar to collect the van that I'd hired from Enterprise. I had the day all planned out, but needless to say it all went a bit pear-shaped. Firstly, I thought I knew where Enterprise was, having rented cars from there before several years earlier. Except it turned out that they'd moved to the other side of town, so I had to walk across Cupar, only to find that the van wasn't there. Whoever had hired it until I was due to pick it up hadn't returned it, so I ended up stuck in Cupar for 90 minutes whilst Enterprise tried to get in touch with him. It's not a place you want to spend that much time in, and I got rather bored, although I did find a nice tea room. Eventually Enterprise went to Kirkcaldy to get a van for me, and by the time it was all sorted out and I got back to St Andrews it was lunchtime. Which was when I'd hoped to be packed up by.

So after a hurried lunch, I started filling up the van. It took me two hours, and typically they turned out to be the hottest hours of the day. As I was making more and more trips up and down I was starting to worry that I wouldn't get everything in, despite the size of the van! It was only three trips in the car to move everything to that flat, but it seemed to be taking up and awfully large amount of space! Thankfully it did all fit in the end, even after I'd been to my old house to collect my bike and tools from the shed, and popped into work to collect all of my office things.

Here's (almost) all of my stuff in the can. That's a medium sized transit, and it's probably about half full. I have a scary amount of possessions. (Credit: David Brown)

After spending Tuesday night visiting my Gran I drove down to Birmingham on Wednesday to stay at my girlfriend's parents'. On Thursday morning, I then drove across to Coventry, unloaded the van into storage, and then drove back up to St Andrews where I met my old housemate John in the pub for a drink or two. Or three.

Friday was my last day at work, and as is traditional my friends had bought me cake and some presents. They obviously know me very well, as there was plenty of excellent cake (both chocolate and carrot), and my presents were very appropriate - an official Scotland rugby shirt, and a giant Lego Technic F1 car! I'll have great fun putting that together. Some of us then went to Pizza Express for dinner.

My friends at work know me too well - these were my leaving presents. Highly appropriate! (Credit: David Brown)

Saturday saw me cleaning the flat, which took all day despite it being pretty clean in the first place, before going out for dinner at the rather nice Thai restaurant in town, followed by a couple of drinks. That was my last hurrah, and today I said my goodbyes to the beautiful town that's been my home for the last four years. I'm really going to miss the place: the beaches; the clean air; the lovely scenery, and the quiet, small town feel to the place. But more than anything I'm going to miss the people. My time in St Andrews has really changed me, more so than my time as an undergraduate in many ways, and I feel as though I've made more lasting friends up there than I did at Warwick. Many have moved away of course, but it makes no difference. St Andrews is in my blood now, and it always will be.