The apartment is emptying out

The apartment is emptying out and the anticipation is rising. The year has finally begun when everything starts. The cold and wet weather also contributes to this.

We have now finalized our long journey to the Philippines with flights and accommodations, and we have even added another travel destination: a month in Vietnam is now also on the agenda.

In the meantime, we have met the new landlord who has taken over the entire apartment building since the new year. We have already discussed various points regarding the move-out with him and are currently waiting for the finalization of the documents. The move-out is planned for the end of March at the latest, and afterwards we will spend the remaining time until the end of April with the parents.

I dread the last days in the empty apartment; a move is easier when the furniture is moved all at once from A to B and not piece by piece, which makes the apartment seem quite cold and bare. On the other hand, I’m also always glad when another part is sold, as it means there’s one less thing to throw away. Even more will end up at the recycling center.

Some large pieces of furniture are already gone, like the wardrobe with its large glass doors and the heavy treadmill. The bicycles have also decreased, although not all of them have been sold yet. The climbing gear, including shoes, is nearly all gone.

Last week, unfortunately, I also had to say goodbye to the gecko. After the animal, including its terrarium, was advertised for free, there were several inquiries from families who wanted to take the gecko for their children but had no experience with terrariums. However, the species of my gecko is certainly not a beginner's pet. It can easily happen that the skin comes off or the tail is shed when handled roughly. I was quite desperate about that. But eventually, a suitable contact was made through the exotic pet supervisor, and now the little green one is living in Bielefeld with a very experienced owner who was genuinely pleased about the addition to their terrarium room.

In addition to all the sorting out, it has now also come to light that our belongings are gradually giving up the ghost. The bedding and many clothing items as well as shoes are breaking, but also things like the heated blanket that we no longer want to replace but miss. We also had to replace various electronic devices (phones, headphones, camera, toothbrush,…)

A few days ago, we had a conversation with the insurance broker regarding a new health insurance abroad that suits us, as well as liability insurance. We were able to finalize the latter; the health insurance can only be concluded three months before the start.

Since we can only deregister ourselves a week before leaving Germany, we have sought an accommodation option to apply for the deregistration certificate at the citizen's office just before the departure and distribute it accordingly to authorities and offices. Thank you for taking us in, both of you ❤️