Moving slowly
Recently, we picked up the keys from our new home. We are moving from Frederiksberg to Valby, Copenhagen. Our new home is within a walking distance from our current home. We decided to move slowly, without using any means of transportation other than a bike. We have given ourselves 18 days to move, though we will not be bringing objects into the new apartment every day, as we have other commitments and we don't live with many objects.
It's so interesting to observe how a new chapter in our life is beginning to unfold. I want to make notes about it and see how moving can be done more sustainably. So far, I feel that living with much less than what is the norm makes moving so simple and playful.
In the past 3 or so years, I've moved several times, from England to Sweden, from Sweden to Finland, and from Finland to Denmark. Both my partner and I hope that this new home in Valby will be a safe and cosy space for us and will serve us for some time. Though our dream is to live close to nature and have a garden.
We didn't make a plan how our move to the new home will happen exactly. It began organically. Usually we go for an evening walk around Søndermarken, and I spontaneously suggested that we walk to our new home instead and bring a few objects there to start living in the new place.
I live with 50 or so personal possessions, so moving them is easy. There are a few items of furniture (a tøjstativ, a bed, my partner's child's bed, a table, 4 chairs, and a bench). There is a drying rack. And two mattresses for each bed. Perhaps the mattresses are the heaviest objects we live with that cannot be taken apart unlike, say, the bed frames. Back in Finland, I lived without furniture and slept on a yoga mat. When I moved to Denmark, I travelled with one tote bag and a backpack and carried everything I owned with me. This move feels more substantial.
The very first thing I wanted to bring to the new home is tea. There is no kettle or pot yet, but having tea always makes me feel at home. I also brought one of our reusable water bottles (we have two), sweatpants, a stone from the beach in Amager, a cotton tote bag, a kitchen sponge and towels (one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom). In our new place, as it is in the current one, we will not have any decorations apart from stones from Mother Nature.
The next item I will bring there is the meditation cushion that belongs to my partner. We have a balcony and I look forward to spending a lot of time with the sun. I am anticipating sitting on the balcony, looking up at the sky, and having a cup of tea with so much joy!
I want to bring some upcycled jars to use as drinking glasses and soap.
And these objects are going to be in the old home for a while still: laptop, everyday cotton tote bag, most clothes (I live with 10 items of clothing, so it's easy to move), documents, the other water bottle, personal care items.
