Where does the time go? I can’t believe it is Thursday already and this is the first time I have managed to sit down and write a blog. My head has been caught up in a whirlwind and most evenings are spent sorting out the last things in the apartment in Berlin. It is down to the final stretch now. All the furniture has been taken away, the bare minimum put in storage and a token amount of things will be shipped to Portugal.
As I wrote before, the decisions have been radical and almost cut-throat. My parents would have had a coronary each if they saw what I got rid of, but as I told my daughter, at this point in both our lives, in order to move on with a free mind and open heart, we need to carry only the essentials with us. Funny how five years can make such a difference. When I moved to Berlin in 2017 I thought that what I brought with me from Manila were the things I wanted to keep with me for the rest of my life. Yet here I am in Portugal, with none of those items, and I couldn’t be happier. There is something incredibly liberating about not being tied down to so much furniture.
Maike has been doing a phenomenal job through it all. Her strength and perseverance are truly amazing, and she has risen to the challenge with grace and fortitude. I could not be prouder of her than I am today. Sure, it is heartbreaking to see the empty apartment photos, but as I said to her the other night, that is no longer our home. It is just an empty shell of a chapter that was, and that I never want to repeat.
While writing this, Maike is packing up the last boxes to put in storage. The painters arrive tomorrow, the cleaners on Tuesday, and then she hands over the apartment on Wednesday, to start her new life in Fuerteventura on Thursday. She is exhausted, as am I, but have been so blessed by all the angels who have come to our aid. It is just a matter of tying up the loose ends now.
There is a gorgeous sunset taking place over the Shire at the moment, and it is an affirmation of me being exactly where I want to be. As the song goes, I will always have a suitcase in Berlin...
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